Red Moon Glow
by Relena for President
Summary: A.C. 212. Foreign Minister Relena Darlian's Mars project is flailing and public criticism is getting her down. Heero Yuy proves to be an effective distraction, but that's not all he gives her. And when Heero is suddenly called away to an extended mission, Relena is left juggling more than she bargained for. Can she balance it all, on her own? Is Heero ever coming back?
1. Sex and Politics

Light streamed in from the window to Relena's right, taunting her with its warmth and playful rays.

It wasn't real sunlight, no, but it would do. At least the conference room window afforded her a nice view of the office building's skylit atrium.

However artificial, light was always a pleasant distraction.

It was then and there that she decided to walk. She let go of the pen she was uselessly clenching and unclenching (she'd wanted so badly to click the ballpoint down, over and over, but resisted) and turned her gaze back to her laptop. In the maybe thirty seconds she'd spent gazing outside, her inbox had filled, again.

Rather than checking one of her mobile devices for the time, Relena checked her left wrist, where her trusty gold-faced watch on the thin, worn black leather still kept the time, faithfully, after all these years. And it wasn't set to local time, anyway. She smiled and pushed her chair back from the table. A few heads snapped up when she did.

"Excuse me," she said softly to her colleagues, all entrenched in their paperwork. "I'll be right back." The group all dropped their eyes back on their work as Relena slipped out of the room.

How she wished to feel exhilarated as she exited the atrium, pushed open the heavy glass doors and stepped outside. To feel the rush of fresh air, breathe in the scent of salt water or fallen leaves, even car exhaust. On the colonies, the air was stale and still. Just one giant airplane cabin.

When she was back on earth, Relena would relish in stepping off the shuttle, feeling icy wind slapping her skin. It was only October, but already the trees back home would have held their spectacular fall fashion show. She might have even missed the first snowfall.

Relena sighed, jamming her hands into her jacket pocket, although it wasn't necessary - it wasn't cold. Why did she miss the cold so much, anyway? Plenty of her friends back home told her, to this day, they would "kill" to get to go to space.

"Kill" wasn't exactly the best word choice to say to a pacifist diplomat, but she usually let it slide.

And anyway, she knew she shouldn't be complaining, even if it was only to herself. She had plenty to be thankful for, including the fact that her work allowed her to travel, even if it was tiring at times. And lonely.

As she walked aimlessly down the tree-lined street, Relena watched the people ambling passed her, each just going about their day happily. Freely. She still couldn't believe sixteen years had passed since the war ended. She was grateful every day for the peace that had been brokered, and she was working hard to keep things peaceful, and safe.

It dawned on her that while she was still young, she'd had a long career already - almost twenty years. This was evidenced by the fact that many of her colleagues were older than her but had less experience. To start her career during the Eve Wars was a real "baptism by fire," the press was fond of saying. But they were also fond of criticizing Relena's terraformation project, its overblown budget, and lack of real "direction." Sixteen years was far too long to - literally - get off the ground, they'd say. Even some influential members of ESUN tried to steer Relena toward other projects. She had declined the offer to chair the Sanc Kingdom's Community Garden Club, though. She was 32; it was hardly time to consider retirement. She could easily work another four decades, at least. It was politics, after all.

Despite her prolific career, Relena still faced what by all rights should have been outdated notions on what she should be doing now, " _at her age_." Another type of retirement entirely. When someone wasn't trying to pull the plug on her project and find something "less taxing" for her to work on, people were asking when she might "take a break" or settle down.

And no, no one ever asked the men she worked with when they might be getting married or having babies. Relena knew this because she would ask them, and they would laugh.

Years spent in the spotlight meant she was more than adept at dodging or reframing the question when it inevitably came up, however. Her favorite method was turning the tables on whoever was asking it, inquiring after _their_ personal lives. No one ever seemed to expect that, and if they didn't get flustered and mutter something generic about their spouses - or exes - they'd usually take the hint and drop the subject.

But if someone insisted on probing deeper, asking why Relena hadn't found anyone "special" yet, or the dreaded _"But don't you want children?"_ her reply was always the same: "We'll see."

Honestly, she would rather field questions on whether the Mars project would ever take off. She just wished she could make people understand how thorough the plans were and why they were taking so long, even though they were closer to launching than ever before. If NASA had been in charge, it probably would have taken another two decades, sending out rovers and bots. But they were nearly there; they just needed to secure more funding. And if the approvals came during the next budget cycle, they could launch next year.

The winds of change were coming, Relena thought. Even if she couldn't feel them right now.

She stood still for a moment, closing her eyes, and breathed in that stale, cabin air. It was better than nothing.

That's when she heard a whistle from behind her.

She turned her head and saw a red pickup driven by what appeared to be a lanky young man. He couldn't have been more than 22.

"Hey, lady!" he yelled out his window, grinning. Relena frowned slightly, taking in his casual attire: baseball cap turned sideways and a beat-up gray t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. This guy was actually approaching her. And people wondered why she hadn't found her "special someone" yet.

She immediately took a defensive stance, backing further up on the sidewalk and folding her arms across her chest. "Can I help you?" she asked. It was a fair question. Maybe this young man was looking for a municipal career center, or something.

"What's a gorgeous thing like you doing out here all by yourself?"

One of Relena's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she turned on her heel and resumed walking, although at a much brisker pace than before.

The man followed alongside in his truck, matching her speed.

"How 'bout a ride, beautiful?"

"No thank you." Relena picked up her pace. "I'd rather walk."

"In those shoes?" he laughed.

Relena looked down at her feet automatically. She was wearing sensible leather flats. This guy was obviously delusional.

"Thanks, but I'm good."

"You sure? Kinda dangerous for a girl as pretty as you to be all alone..."

Relena felt the hairs stand up on the back her neck. She'd learned words like that weren't usually friendly.

Despite ESUN's weapons ban - which she'd backed wholeheartedly - she kept a 9mm in her handbag. Relena reached inside and felt the familiar handle, carefully sliding her finger onto the trigger. Just in case.

"I'm fine, thank you," she insisted, continuing her stride. Part of her was slightly scared for her life; another part was concerned for this man's safety, and the ramifications - and inevitable PR nightmare - of gunning down him in public.

Unfortunately, he wasn't taking the hint.

"Listen, some buddies of mine are having a little party up the street," he drolled. "Just hop in and I'll take you. We could have a few drinks, get to know each other a little better…"

"I said 'no,'" Relena said sharply, gripping her concealed weapon. She glanced only briefly in the man's direction, mostly out of her peripheral to make sure he wasn't about to stop or exit his vehicle. "Now leave me alone."

That's when she saw another vehicle - a black SUV - trailing the pickup. With other traffic going around the slow-moving truck, it was likely one of two things: either ESUN had sent her a babysitter, or the guy did indeed have some buddies.

But this was a brand new, shiny, luxury SUV, so Relena quickly scrubbed the second option from her mind.

Before she had any more time to wonder, the driver's side window came whirring down. Relena had to smile when she spotted the familiar shock of dark hair.

The driver was wearing black sunglasses, but his gaze was fixed on her.

"Get in," Heero barked.

It was one order Relena didn't mind obeying.

She could hear a string of expletives from the truck driver as she climbed up into Heero's car and shut the door. The red pickup sped away, but Heero refrained from following suit. Instead he made a u-turn in the middle of the street, heading back in the direction of the government center.

"Heero." Relena glanced up at him in amusement. "As usual, your timing is impeccable." He only grunted in response.

"What brings you here?" she continued. "And don't tell me you were 'in the neighborhood.'"

"I wasn't. I went to the government center looking for you."

Relena's voice up went up a little. "You did?"

"Yeah, I went to your meeting. They said you left."

She frowned and smoothed her skirt. "I was taking a break."

"Most people just go to the vending machine."

" _Most_ people can just go for a walk when they feel like it," Relena retorted.

"You're not most people." Heero glowered.

"...Which is why it's understandable that I don't like the vending machine." She folded her arms and leaned back against the car seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Heero smirk.

"Tell me what you're actually doing here," she pressed. "I know it's not to rescue me from random catcallers."

"No, I know you can handle yourself." In a fluid motion, Heero took one hand off the wheel, reached into Relena's purse and whipped out her handgun, giving it a spin before sliding it back into the bag. "Good girl," he approved.

In the past, comments like that would have made her blush. Now she just rolled her eyes. "Well, I do know a thing or two," she quipped. Heero just chuckled, so she nudged his elbow. "Just answer the question, please."

"I heard you were holding a public forum on the terraformation tonight…" He paused, glancing at Relena. "I thought things might get ugly."

Relena laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more passion around the project; everything's been dragging lately. We could really use some support."

"Well, I'm not so sure it's support that you're going to get right now," Heero murmured.

Relena smiled reassuringly. "That's what you're here for."

"Uh-huh." Heero turned into the government center's parking garage. "You know Duo says you would get more support if you wore lower-cut clothing on TV."

Relena's face flushed. "Yeah? Well, you can tell Duo to go _you-know-what_ himself."

"You can tell him yourself." Heero pulled into a parking spot on the lower level.

"He's here?"

"Yup. When I told him where I was going he insisted on coming along. I tried to stop him, but you know Duo."

 _Ha!_ Relena wasn't entirely convinced that Duo and Heero weren't secretly a couple, but she kept it to herself, even though she had her suspicions. Duo had been - allegedly - happily married to Hilde for ten years, and they had an eight-year-old son.

"Trowa, too," Heero added.

"Well," Relena murmured as they exited the car. "This night just got a lot more interesting."


	2. Clickbait

After another briefing with her committee, and a quick cafeteria dinner of coffee and caesar salad, Relena felt ready to take on the world. Or at least the colony's government center auditorium, filled with members of the press and public, all waiting to hear some positive news about the terraformation. She hoped she'd be able to deliver.

The committee sat all together on a dais onstage in the auditorium; Relena, as chair, sat in the middle. Despite her urging that other members take on the chairmanship, so far Relena had served four three-year terms.

She took a moment to survey the crowd before banging the gavel and opening the forum. She would read a summary of the committee's latest endeavors into the record before the finance director would give an update on the project's budget; then there would be time for audience questions and comments.

Relena listened intently as Claire, the finance director, read her report, even as her eyes scanned the crowd. The audience members appeared to be a little restless as the woman rattled off line item after item, but nothing seemed out of sorts. Relena wondered if Heero had some intel that something was going to go down, though. _Otherwise, why would he be here?_

Her eyes found him now, standing on the side of the stage. He had come and gone a few times throughout the meeting, slipping in and out of shadows. Duo was hanging backstage, while Trowa was perched somewhere up in the rafters. Relena hadn't been nervous about tonight, but their presence still lent her some comfort.

Claire soon wrapped her report, and Relena opened the floor for public comment. There were a few expressions of support from some of her loyal fans; some genuine questions about the project's timeline and costs; more than a few complaints that it was too big and too expensive; and a few grumblings from zealous colonists who felt ESUN was overreaching, including one conspiracy theorist who started spouting off about the agenda of the demonic one-world government. Relena saw Heero eyeing the man, but he said his piece and left the auditorium without incident.

Once that was over and done with, Relena invited members of the press to ask questions. Most of the journalists that posed questions stuck to the usual script, but one older man decided to push the envelope.

He stepped up to the microphone and pushed a pair of round, wire-rimmed glasses to the bridge of his nose, as if he needed them to read whatever was scrawled in his old-fashioned Moleskine.

"Relena, you've spent the better part of your youth spearheading this project, which has yet to come into fruition. You were a mere teenager when you started, but now you're in your thirties. Is this the reason you're still single and childless?" There was a collective gasp in the room before he finished. "Will you ever let this pipe dream go?"

Relena's face burned. She felt hundreds of pairs of eyes staring her down, but only one stood out from the crowd. Heero was looking up at her with a worried expression.

Claire was behind her in an instant. "You don't have to answer that," she said into Relena's ear.

Relena bristled, then cleared her throat. "Yes, I do." She leaned into the microphone.

"This is not a pipe dream, sir. This is a concrete plan that has been developed by the finest engineering minds on earth and in the colonies. It has been carefully constructed and vetted along the way, by this committee and others, since we formed twelve years ago. You won't see a more thoroughly crafted project in all of ESUN, so that when we do launch, we can do so without hesitation or reservation, and we pledge to make all of you proud."

Relena could hear murmurings throughout the room. Building off of that, she raised her voice to a rallying cry.

"We are going to Mars!" she shouted, and the crowd erupted into applause and cheers.

Relena turned around to look at the rest of her committee, and they were applauding as well. She gave them a triumphant grin, and turned back to the podium.

"And who knows? Maybe one day, soon, we'll also celebrate the first baby born on Mars. And in case some of you bloggers are looking for clickbait, it won't necessarily be mine, okay?"

Laughter rippled throughout the crowd, followed by more cheers.

"Thank you, everyone!" Relena waved to the audience. "If the committee is ready, I propose we close tonight's meeting, but I need a move and second. Anyone?"

"I move!" shouted Claire.

The committee's chief engineer seconded, and Relena gave the gavel a single _thwack_ against the podium.

"This meeting is adjourned!"

Relena was relieved that the forum had gone relatively well, but she felt as if she was working overtime to control the media spin that would likely ensue. It was exhausting.

She looked at the spot where Heero had been standing, but he was already gone. Relena shrugged and figured he was off doing his security thing, whatever that entailed.

Then she spotted Duo in the crowd, and it looked like he was exchanging angry words with the nosy male reporter. _Oh, no._

Relena quickly descended the stairs and strode over to intervene.

The long-haired former pilot was getting in the flustered reporter's face.

"And another thing, what makes you qualified to comment on a woman's personal life and relationships? Or when she should be having kids? You know, you're not so hot yourself, pal." Duo was wagging his finger. "You shouldn't be one to judge. Where the hell are your wife and kids? Huh?!"

Relena placed a gentle hand on Duo's shoulder. "All right, that's quite enough. Thank you."

The disgruntled reporter scoffed. "These are the kind of people you hire, Ms. Peacecraft? Unbelievable," he spat.

"That's Ms. Darlian," Relena corrected him. "And I strive to hire only the best people." She narrowed her eyes in her own form of Heero's death glare, and was sure it made her face look silly, but she didn't care. "Please make sure to get that right in print, at least."

Duo snorted. Relena elbowed him. "Let's go."

Fighting back further laughter, Duo placed a hand on the small of Relena's back and guided her backstage.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself," he lamented. "What an effing d-bag…"

"You can say that again," Relena murmured. "But really, these guys don't need any more fuel for their fire. I certainly hope he didn't think he was interviewing you."

"Nah." Duo shrugged. "I just gave him a piece of my mind, that's all."

"Oh, dear…" Relena's eyes rolled skyward. "I can just see the headlines now…"

"I might have told him you're already expecting an alien reptile baby with the ESUN President, but that's about it," Duo teased.

"Duo!" Relena gave his arm a playful swat. "I'll have your tongue tied."

"I'm joking. But I did tell him you have a boyfriend…"

Relena's smile quickly vanished. "What? You… why?"

"Because you do!" Now it was Duo's turn to roll his eyes. "Don't you? I mean, what's the big deal? I didn't know it was some state secret or something. And if it is, I mean, that's kind of ridiculous."

Relena glanced all around her before pulling Duo by his arm into a dark corner backstage. "It is a big deal. To me," she hissed. "It's private. And anyway, if you'd been paying attention, I don't have a boyfriend anymore."

"Ahh, ok." Duo patted her hand. "So that's why you've been so moody."

"Hey!" Relena snapped. "That's not fair."

"Well, what's the harm if people think you are seeing someone? Maybe then they'll leave you alone about the whole marriage thing."

Relena pondered this. "Maybe… But I still don't want them prying into my affairs. No one has the right to know what I'm up to, unless it's government business. My private life is strictly off the table. You understand?"

"You got it, Princess. Sorry I said anything." Duo scratched the back of his head. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry things didn't work out."

Relena waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Promise."

"Good." Duo gave her a goofy grin. "Chin up, babe. I'm sure you'll find someone great, someday."

Relena stifled a laugh. "Gee, thanks. In case you're wondering, it's not even on my radar right now. Besides, I can just live vicariously through you and Hilde."

"Ugh." Duo grimaced. "Creepy." He gave Relena a wink, then looked over her head. "Hey, lookie here! Batman's coming."

Relena looked over her shoulder. "Batman" was one of Heero's many codenames (picked by Duo, of course).

Heero stopped just behind Relena, regarding her with a frown.

"Well?" he asked.

Relena shrugged. "Could've been worse."

"Hm," he seemed to agree. "What now?"

"Wine," she answered automatically. "I need wine."


	3. Convents on Mars

Often times, after a long day of work, Relena would seek solace in a local bistro, order up a gourmet meal - something decadent, like pasta and bread - and a bottle of wine. For herself, and any of her staff that might be with her.

But tonight, she wanted to get out of the public eye. And so she instead sought solace in the apartment she was renting on the other side of the city.

While the terraformation committee was comprised of engineers and officials from both the earth and colonies, they had recently taken up residence in the L1 colony's capital. It was a convenient location for many, since it was the closest colony to earth, so Relena could get back to the Sanc Kingdom relatively quickly if she had any business that required her to fly home.

Going back and forth so much made her feel as though she were living a bicoastal lifestyle, only it was more… biplanetary? And once Mars was colonized, she would feel even more split in two. Or, make that three.

Except, once that happened, she wasn't sure when the next time would be that she would go home. The first Mars team had constructed some huds during one of their initial trips, but there were hardly enough of the tiny domes for the base to be considered a colony. There was still a lot of work ahead, and the only way to accomplish that was to have people there full-time, and keep them there.

Relena didn't mean to sigh out loud, but the sound escaped before she could recapture it. Heero shifted in the driver's seat.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," she answered as she stared bleakly out the passenger window. "Just thinking about the project, that's all."

"You've had a long day. You're tired," he observed. "You need to relax."

"Yeah," she agreed. "It's been a long week." But, then, she could say that every week.

Heero placed a hand on her knee and gave it a squeeze before releasing. Relena stiffened. She wasn't braced for his touch just then.

"I'm fine, really," she squeaked.

He chuckled softly. "You're always saying that." He pulled the car into the affluent apartment complex's garage. "Relax," he commanded again.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of men always telling me what to do," she snapped, a little more harshly than she meant to. Her face immediately colored.

Heero just smirked. "That's never stopped you before." Relena just sighed again. He was right; she _was_ tired.

It struck her, as they took the elevator up to her floor that, to this day, she had no idea where Heero lived, if he even had a permanent residence. Whenever she saw him, he was either staying at a hotel or with her. She'd never seen or heard of him signing a lease or a mortgage, and she couldn't imagine it. He got by on codenames, and she doubted he would ever use "Heero Yuy" as his legal name - which presented plenty of issues in and of itself.

But then, she couldn't complain, really. She still got to see him every few months. For all she knew, he could have a whole other life on earth or in the colonies that she wasn't privy to, but then she really doubted it. Heero Yuy wasn't exactly an open book, but at this point Relena thought she knew him pretty well.

And the parts she didn't know? Well, everyone's life could use a little mystery.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched him enter her apartment - after she'd completed an iris scan to allow him inside, of course - flick on the lights, stride into the kitchen and retrieve a bottle of wine from the rack before fishing around in a drawer and retrieving a cork screw. She studied the muscular lines on his back as he moved about. She liked that he remembered where everything was.

He turned, holding up the wine bottle he'd just opened. "Is rosé all right? I know it's not summer any more, but then we are on a temperature-controlled colony."

Relena held out her hand for a glass. "Give it."

Heero chuckled as he poured. "So demanding."

She stretched and sighed. "I just need to wash this day away…"

"... with alcohol," Heero finished, handing her a half-full glass. She blinked. "Oh, be generous," she pleaded. He shook his head and filled it to the brim.

"You're not making my job any easier," he chided. "After today, I might have to implement some new safety protocols."

"Well, we are home now," she murmured before taking a slow sip. She had intentionally landed on the "we," and wondered if he'd noticed. "You can keep an eye on me all you like."

"Hm." She watched as Heero took a long swig out of his glass. "I have to admit, I enjoy ESUN's work from home policy."

Relena face turned the same color as the pink liquid she was drinking. So he felt at home with her, then.

"That," Heero paused before taking another sip, "and my boss is very flexible."

The color on Relena's face deepened, but her mind worked quickly to counteract his obvious flirtation.

"Well." She paused to take another long sip of her wine, stalling for time. "I'll have you know that you're the only one who's allowed to comment on my lesser-known qualifications." She enjoyed watching Heero's eyes widen at that remark, although his face quickly recovered.

"Along with your other conquests, you mean."

"Conquests?" Relena's brow wrinkled.

"Yeah. Like what's his face," Heero glowered.

He was likely referring to Relena's most recent ex: Carter Davenport, an ESUN representative from the United Kingdom. They had broken up six months ago, right before Relena's 32nd birthday.

"He wasn't a conquest," Relena pointed out. "He pursued me."

"Right. So you were his conquest, then." Heero downed the remaining contents of his glass before reaching to pour another. "I never liked the guy."

"I remember." Relena tried not to smile. Heero had made his feelings very apparent throughout the roughly eighteen months she and Carter were dating, scowling during every security detail he worked at the time. Relena was surprised, frankly, that he had stuck around - but then, was she really?

Relena dumped what was left of the wine bottle into her glass, wondering absentmindedly if they should eat something between their drinking courses. That would probably be for the best.

So would a subject change, she decided, clearing her throat.

"So we have a problem." That caught Heero's attention. His eyebrows immediately raised.

"Hm?"

Relena sighed and headed to the couch, and Heero followed. She sank gratefully into the soft leather, noting that Heero chose a nearby chair.

"As I was saying earlier, tonight's conference could have been a lot worse, but we're still getting generally negative feedback on the project. And I'm just not sure how to temper that, if the overall public perception is really that bad."

"Yeah." Heero frowned. "You have a big PR problem."

"Mm-hmm." Relena savored her latest sip of wine. "I'm scratching my head trying to understand where this latest bout of bad press has come from. Yes, the project is taking a while, but surely people understand what's at stake?"

"Maybe not," Heero mused. "Think about it."

Relena rested a hand against her temple. "Believe me, I have."

She watched as Heero leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees. "No, really. Think about what was happening when you first took on the project. The war had just ended, and despite the rise of ESUN and passing of the weapons ban, and other 'peace' policies, there was a shroud of uncertainty in the air. The people of earth weren't feeling all that secure, and neither were the colonists. But you came along at the right time and gave people hope. They saw you not only survive, but thrive during and after the war. And then you brought forth a very appealing proposal. At that point, people were starting to become more willing to work together, and expand mankind's reach further into space. It gave everyone a singular goal to work toward."

Relena nodded, listening intently. "That's true…"

"But now, nearly two decades have passed since the war ended, and people have to ask what, exactly, this committee has been up to over the past twelve years."

Relena opened her mouth to speak, but Heero continued. "I know, your meeting minutes are public and all. But there's a lot of skepticism now that so much time has passed, and the Mars colonies are hardly livable. If one could even call them 'colonies,' that is. Having Zechs and Noin abandon the project wasn't great for PR, either."

Relena sighed. "I know, but I understand their reasons. They both dedicated a few years of their lives to this, and they were more dedicated than anyone. But I couldn't ask them to keep going. Especially when it was so early in their marriage, and they were trying to build a new life together. And when Noin lost the baby…" Relena hung her head, trying to will away the tears that immediately welled up. "I felt responsible."

"That wasn't your fault," Heero answered immediately.

"All that space travel didn't help her condition, and that was something I was asking her to do."

"It happened. There was nothing you could do to prevent it." Heero was always so cut and dry about these things. Not that Relena could blame him, either.

"Well, at any rate, we lost them, and that impacted the rest of the team, and now here we are, six years later, and we haven't sent a single crew since then."

"Yeah, that…" Heero paused, looking off into the distance.

"What?" Relena whirled around to see what he was looking at.

"Nothing." He cleared his throat. "I was just remembering that particular… mission."

Relena found herself blushing again. "Okay, you can just stop right there." It turned out the confines of those Mars huds had a way of fostering intimacy.

"Focus, please," she continued. "I need a better way of presenting the project to the media, even if they seem to hate me."

"They don't hate you - they love to hate you." Heero smirked.

"I don't care what they think of me; I just want them to stop painting such a doom and gloom image all the time."

"The budget isn't helping, and I don't think you've disclosed enough on the fundraising campaigns, or private funds, for people to feel good about where the money is coming from. They can't help but think the taxpayers are going to foot the majority of the bill once all is said and done."

"And that's not fair, because we've made so much of that information public," Relena sighed. "You know I'm prohibited from disclosing the specific amounts of the private funding."

"But I think people would feel better knowing about some of the anonymous billionaires pledging to support this," Heero added, "such as our friend Quatre. Or yourself."

"I'm hardly a billionaire." Relena waved a hand.

"Close enough."

"Well, what else am I going to spend my inheritance on? Besides starting more schools and orphanages?" Relena held up her hands. "This is the best use of my money. I'm sure of it."

"But you can't just tell people that."

"No way. Think of what else they'd say… That I'm bragging about my worth. And then they'll start writing about how much my suits cost."

Heero chuckled. "Don't they do that already?"

"And my shoes… and my haircuts. You name it."

"Well, maybe your finance director can indicate that much of the funding has been secured."

"That would be nice, but we can't legally say that since we're talking about pledges, and that's not concrete enough."

Heero scratched his chin. "Haven't you gotten some big checks already?"

"Yes, but those monies are tied up in reserve funds, some of which we can't even touch until just before our launch date."

"And whose brilliant idea was that?"

"Mine," Relena sighed. "I didn't want us to feel like we had an endless pool to pull from."

"I see." Heero frowned. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I know it sounds crazy."

"Well, what else is there?"

"I doubt this is great for PR, but Claire and the finance subcommittee are currently drafting a proposal for public funds that will be introduced at the start of the next budget cycle. Just in case we don't meet our goal. I asked them to make it as user-friendly and digestible as possible, but…"

"You're worried."

"Yeah."

"Sounds like you need to come up with another way to distract the media."

Relena laughed. "Spoken like a seasoned politician, Heero. I'm impressed."

"I could build another Gundam and fly it around."

She nearly spit out her wine that time. "Don't you dare!"

"False flag terrorist attack?"

"No way." Relena shook her head firmly. "I wouldn't want anyone to feel they were in real danger, even if it was controlled."

"Hm…"

"We don't need to pull off some crazy mass deception… They just need to find something else to write about. Even for, like, a month." Relena paused as she downed her second glass of wine. "More wine. More wine is the answer."

"I don't think so," Heero warned.

"More wine will help me find the answer."

"Fair enough." Heero got up and strode into the kitchen.

Another half a bottle later, Relena was feeling just woozy enough to relax. Heero was sitting beside her on the couch now, and she had curled up against his back, her knees tucked into her chest.

"I could join a convent," she mused.

"You wouldn't be able to go to Mars…" Heero's voice trailed off. Relena thought she detected a slight slur. She giggled.

"Convent on Mars?"

"No."

"We'll need churches though. I mean eventually."

"Also no."

"You're no fun."

"That's a bad idea and you know it. Next."

"We could pull off a massive jewel heist."

"You're drunk."

"I mean we'd hire someone else to do it. Obviously." Relena frowned. "Trowa?"

"No."

"Une could do it. She's still a little crooked, I think."

"Relena…"

"Fine!" She sighed loudly. "Or, I could have an affair with an intern!"

"What?" Heero spun around, sending Relena off balance. She fell back against her throw pillows, convulsing with laughter. "Gross."

"What? I have some really cute ones…"

Heero just shook his head. "You're cut off."

"I haven't heard you give me any better ideas. This is what happens when you leave me to my own vices."

"Devices," Heero corrected.

"Whatever." Relena stuck out her tongue.

"Why don't you just get married?"


	4. The Marrying Kind

" _Why don't you just get married?"_

Relena's grin faltered for the first time in several minutes. She cocked her head sideways. Now Heero was talking crazy.

"How much have you _had_?"

"I'm serious. Think about it."

Relena regarded him as seriously as she could before giving into laughter again. "You're hilarious."

"Why is that funny? You'd be giving the people what they want. Not to mention something to write about, for months. You could probably buy an extra year of project planning. Especially if you announce the engagement soon. People love a royal engagement, don't they?"

"Ugh. You have got to be kidding me." Relena recoiled in disgust.

"What? Doesn't every girl want to plan her wedding?"

"I have more important matters to focus on. You know that." Relena glared. "You of all people know that."

"Relax. It's just a suggestion."

Relena just continued to glare at him. "Who would I even marry, anyway?"

Heero shrugged. "Call your ex."

"Which one? The one sitting right here suggesting stupid ideas?"

"Nice. I meant the last guy. He probably would've married you, anyway. If you'd let him."

"I don't want to marry Carter."

"Then why did you date him?"

"Good question…" Relena fixed her gaze on Heero. "Why did you date me, if you didn't plan to marry me?"

Heero appeared to squirm. "That's different."

"How so?" Relena spread her hands. "Enlighten me, please."

"You just said you didn't want to get married, anyway."

"Answer the question, Yuy."

Heero assessed her for a full, uncomfortable minute before answering. "I don't know. I never really thought about it."

Relena huffed, sending her bangs flying in separate directions. "Why am I not surprised?"

"It's not that I didn't… think about it," he amended, shifting in his seat. "I mean, I knew it was something you would probably want. Eventually."

"Wow. How romantic." Relena rolled her eyes.

"I thought about what I'd say to you, if I asked." That made her bolt upright.

"You did?"

"Yeah. But the thing is, when men propose, they usually have something to offer a woman. Like a name, or a home, or stability. I have none of those things."

"Well, whose fault is that?!" Relena threw up her hands. _Heero and his excuses_.

"What do you mean?" The former Gundam pilot looked taken aback.

"The war is over." Relena leveled him with a cool gaze. "You're free to do whatever you want. What's stopping you from just choosing a name and filing the paperwork? Or buying a home? You make a good living; there's no reason to live like a nomad any more. You are one hundred percent in control of your future. _You_ , Heero Yuy." She jabbed a finger at his chest. "Unless you _like_ living this way? Maybe that's the problem… You don't want to change."

Heero looked shell-shocked before muttering, "Yeah."

Relena leaned back against the couch cushions, drawing her legs up against her chest. "Listen, I'm not trying to push you. I know it's been hard for you to find your place in the world since the war ended. And all this traveling around is part of your journey. I get it. I drown myself in work. We all have our demons."

Heero stared at her, and Relena felt as though she could read his thoughts: _Do you really?_

"I know that I haven't experienced a fraction of the horrors you have, but I have seen some things." Relena added, turning somber. "I watched my father die from an explosion, right before my eyes… and I myself have survived more explosions and assassination attempts than just about anyone, besides you. So if you think you'll ever find _anyone_ who understands you so well… besides your fellow pilots, that is…"

"I know, Relena," Heero cut her off. He raked a hand through his hair, keeping his gaze trained on the floor. "I know."

"Anyway. All I'm trying to say is, you have choices. You really can do anything you want."

"Yeah…" Heero continued to stare at his feet. "I guess I don't know what that is."

Relena straightened up. "Well, I guess you're out of the running, then."

"Huh?"

"For my groom, silly." Relena gave him a lopsided smile. "It's a joke."

"Oh." Heero just frowned.

"Be honest; you were never really in the running anyway. Are you really up for that job?"

"Guess not." He was still frowning, deeply.

"We tried anyway, and it didn't work."

"It was working fine for me," he muttered.

"Maybe for you, but it's a little hard to be in a relationship with someone you never see," Relena pointed out. "But I know that suits you just fine..."

"We see each other all the time," Heero started.

"Sure, now. But it's a little late for that."

"Was it a little late six months ago?"

Relena gasped. She had almost forgotten, but then it was her birthday, and she had had a _lot_ of wine.

"Oh my god." She buried her face in her hands. "I thought that was a dream…"

Now it was Heero's turn to laugh.

"That's not funny," she scolded. "You took advantage of me. I was inebriated, and vulnerable."

"I was drunk, too," he retorted. "Maybe you took advantage of me."

"How is it you remember and I don't, then?"

"I'm sure you remember about as much as I do, Relena," Heero smirked.

The wheels of her mind started churning - she remembered she was crying, alone, in the back of a limousine, where Heero found her - but Relena tried to stop herself from going there. Especially when they had just had nearly three bottles of wine between them. All she could think, now, was: what was _she_ running from?

Relena frowned down at her wine glass, which was somehow empty again. She eyed the half-bottle that was left on the coffee table. Anything but to look Heero in the eye.

And then the words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"If you had asked me, I would have said yes."

She got up calmly and walked to the sink, depositing her glass, changing her mind about refilling it. When she turned around again, Heero was staring at her, open-mouthed.

 _"What?"_

"What else is there to say?" Relena shrugged. "I'm going to bed."

Heero stood and blocked her path.

"If I had asked you _what_?"

Relena looked up at him and blinked. "To marry you."

He sucked in a breath before speaking again. His voice came out slightly shaky. "Why?"

"Why?" Relena smiled. She almost pitied him, this stupid, stupid man. "Because I love you. I always have. That hasn't changed."

"But why?" he demanded, his voice growing gruffer.

Relena couldn't help but laugh. "I don't understand why you need me to explain, Heero. Because meeting you turned my world upside down. I don't know what my life would have been otherwise. Actually, I do know. I wouldn't even _be_ here. And I certainly wouldn't be working where I am, or taking on these massive projects, facing down all these challenges, if I didn't have you to believe in me."

Heero lifted a hand to her face. "Relena… You know I've dedicated my life to protecting you. It's the only thing I can give you. But I want you to be happy."

"Then make me happy." She smiled up him playfully.

He frowned and glanced downward. "Is it really that simple?"

Relena placed both hands on his chest. "Would you move to Mars with me?"

"If you asked me to, yes." He answered without any trace of hesitation.

"Then why is this any different?"

"Are you still talking about marriage?"

She nodded, and Heero exhaled.

"It's more complicated than you think."

"How so?" she challenged.

Heero took Relena's hand and drew her back to the couch.

"Because we are talking about a media circus." He looked at her intently once they were sitting down. "Which I know you said you want, but do you really? You would be hounded. And maybe that would be a little easier than being constantly criticized over your project, but you don't like when things get personal.

"And think," he continued, "of what people would say about you marrying an ex-Gundam pilot."

She cocked her head at him. "Not everyone knows that about you; you've managed to keep a pretty low profile."

"People have a way of finding these things out. Especially if I continue going by 'Heero Yuy.' I might as well have 'Pilot Zero One' or 'Wing Zero' tattooed on my face."

Relena let out a staccato laugh. "But still…"

"What?"

She snuggled up against him. "I just _can't_ marry someone else. Especially when you keep trying to sleep with me."

Heero smiled faintly. "You don't make it easy. You should stop being so irresistible."

"Look who's talking." Relena poked him in the chest. "What do you want to do about it?"

She knew she didn't have to ask that question; it was plain in his eyes. She could never forget the first time she'd heard him say those very words to her - _"Look who's talking"_ \- and she blushed up to her hairline. She at once loved and loathed his unique ability to turn her into a schoolgirl with a crush all over again. And so she couldn't resist tossing those words his way, every now and then, in case he should ever forget what they meant to her.

And so she wasn't all that surprised when he pushed her against the couch and kissed her, hard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and did her best to deepen the kiss. She wanted to sink so far into him that she couldn't feel anything else.


	5. Mixed Signals

_Chapter Five: Mixed Signals_

Morning came sooner than Relena would have liked, although once she had blinked herself awake, she realized where she was, what had happened, and smiled.

It was the loveliest morning she'd had in quite a while.

She turned, ready to greet Heero with a kiss, but he wasn't there. She looked around the room, noticed the bathroom door was closed, closed her eyes and snuggled back into her pillow. She was still pretty tired and sore from last night. The thought almost made her squeal; she and Heero hadn't gone at it like that since they were teenagers. But it was even more than that; this time, she felt as though they had connected on a much deeper level. And while the thought of being that close to him scared her, it also made her immensely happy. Besides, she didn't want to spoil what they'd shared last night by overanalyzing. She was determined to just revel in the moment.

No major declarations or promises had been made, but Relena had expected as much. She knew Heero, for all his loyalty, still had trouble voicing his feelings. And the phrase "I love you" just wasn't part of his vocabulary. In the past it would irk Relena, but now she simply chalked it up to cultural differences. Heero was brought up in a Japanese community, and even if he didn't fully remember his birth parents, those reserved sensibilities had been instilled in him nonetheless. And Relena had learned that the Japanese just don't say "I love you" freely; to the Japanese, those three words carried the weight of a sacred oath. It wasn't something you said flippantly to a sweetheart, and your next sweetheart, and the next. No, it was practically reserved for the death bed. Relena knew if she was waiting for Heero to say those words to her, she would be waiting a very long time. She had no trouble saying them to him, however. And, if his tenderness toward her last night was any indication, he not only appreciated the sentiment, but returned it, in his own way.

Since it was still early, Relena allowed herself to drift back to sleep for a bit before waking up to her usual weekday alarm. She yawned and stretched and said, "Good morning."

No response. Relena reached behind her and felt around the bed. Still nothing. She turned over and, sure enough, no Heero.

She got up, since she needed to use the bathroom anyway, and also because she thought he might be in there. But he wasn't. A quick walk around the apartment revealed nothing but a fresh pot of coffee, which he'd clearly made before he left.

Relena frowned. It was typical Heero, sure, but she had convinced herself that this time would be different. No more taking off in the middle of the night without so much as a word, only to show up out of the blue months later.

She bristled as new fears pierced her thoughts. Had all that talk of marriage and commitment last night scared him away?

Relena padded back to the bed and yanked off the duvet, newly irritated. Heero had a thing or two coming if he thought he could just waltz into her life and make love to her whenever he wanted, no strings attached. They might have had a loose agreement in the past, but how was that fair to her?

In an effort to stay calm, Relena half-convinced herself that maybe Heero had just gone for a run, or to pick up breakfast. She didn't have much food in the apartment, so maybe that was it. She let go of the breath she'd been holding. Maybe she was overreacting.

She sat on the bed and reached for her phone to check email, so she could start to focus on other things. She should at least give Heero the benefit of the doubt, right?

Relena's phone revealed a series of missed calls, all from a number she didn't recognize. Her brow furrowed. Usually she wouldn't answer calls from unknown numbers, nor return them, but something made her hit redial.

The other line picked up immediately.

"Heero?" Relena asked the silence.

"Hey," came his low voice.

"What's going on? Where are you?"

"I'm about to board a shuttle."

 _"What?"_ Relena's chest tightened. "Why?"

"I got called away. I'm sorry. I tried calling you on my way to explain. I thought you'd be up by now."

Now Relena was _really_ annoyed. "Why didn't you just wake me when you were here?"

"You were in a deep sleep. You need your rest."

"Heero." Relena seethed. "I would have liked to at least say goodbye. Especially after last night..."

"I know." He paused. "I'm sorry. Last night was…"

The line crackled. "Heero?" Relena gripped the phone tighter, as if that would keep the call from cutting out.

"Sorry," he came in again. "Lousy signal. I have to go. We're boarding."

"Heero!" she practically shouted into the phone. "Where are you going?"

"I can't say." _Of course not._ "But I'll try to touch base with you soon. Are you going home for the holidays?"

Relena mentally checked her calendar. She usually tried to spend Christmas on earth to visit her adopted mother, and just rest at home, if she had time. "Possibly… I'm not sure." It was nearly three months away.

"I'll try to contact you in the next few weeks. Probably from a different number."

Also typical Heero. He was constantly ditching phones, despite the fact that their government-issued devices had the highest possible levels of encryption. But Heero couldn't be talked into using any method of biometric authentication. He really didn't want anyone, or anything, having any of his personal data - not even his own phone.

"Relena?"

She blinked, surprised he hadn't hung up already. "Yes?"

"I know you're angry, but… don't make me feel like a dick. Please." His words caught her off guard. "I want to see you when I get back. Do you copy?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I copy."

"We have things to discuss."

"We do?" This wasn't like Heero, at all. _Maybe he's been kidnapped_ … _or cloned,_ she mused.

"Yeah. This is the last job I'm going to take for a while, other than working for you. If you'll have me."

Relena clucked her tongue. "I'll think about it..."

"Yeah?"

 _"Mm-hmm..."_

She wasn't going to just cave so easily, even if he was attempting to win her over. Flattering as it was, he'd have to work a little harder than that. She had already made her feelings plain as day.

"Okay. I really have to go now." She thought she heard him sigh. "Relena, I-"

The line went dead.

Relena removed the phone from her ear and looked down at it sadly, the foreign phone number blinking up at her.

He was gone.

Scrolling through her call log revealed that his wasn't the only call she'd missed; she also saw calls and messages from Duo. She answered a text he'd sent saying that Heero had asked Duo to replace him as her security detail, and what time did she want him there? She texted back that she was going to go for a run and come into the office a little later. Yesterday had been a long one.

 _Want some company?_ Duo texted back.

 _It's ok, I won't be long,_ she replied. _I'll see you at the office._

 _You sure? :-(_

 _I'm sure :-) Thanks._

Relena hoped Duo would take the hint. She didn't want to be rude, but she needed to be alone with her thoughts to process her last conversation with Heero. Nothing helped her think clearly like a run.

True to her word, she kept it short. Once her feet hit the pavement, Relena realized she just wasn't feeling it. Her legs and thighs were sore, and she was starting to feel crampy. Her period was supposed to be right around the corner, so that was probably why. That, and her encounter with Heero was actually strenuous exercise; she was sure that counted as a workout all its own.

She walked back to the apartment and took her time showering, dressing, and savoring her morning coffee as she caught up on a few work emails before heading out. After a few more back and forth messages with Duo, she'd finally agreed to let him pick her up. Back home, she didn't mind driving, but she had yet to master it on the colonies; there was a whole other set of rules, and cars drove on a different side of the road than Relena was used to. Like most politicians, she usually just hired a driver; and when she was with Heero, he insisted on driving, anyway. Relena hated to admit that it wasn't her strong suit, but since she had been so busy building her political career as a teenager, learning to drive wasn't high on her list of priorities. So she did it a few years behind her peers, and discovered it wasn't something she felt the urge to do often. Besides, it was easier to catch up on work when someone else could transport her to and fro.

Duo was waiting outside in a similar, if not the same, SUV Heero had been driving. He rolled down the window and whistled when he saw her.

"Hot damn, lady!"

Relena stuck her tongue out at him. "Careful. Yesterday I nearly shot a man who pulled the same crap."

"Holy hell, you're fierce." Duo chuckled as Relena climbed into the car. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Heero intervened."

"Ah, ok. Well, you are dressed to kill, anyway." Duo gave her a saucy wink. "What's the occasion?"

Relena shrugged innocently. "Just work."

"That ain't no work dress, babe. Sorry."

Today Relena had chosen her favorite yellow sheath dress and nude pumps. Duo was right, it was a departure from her usual office attire, but still workplace appropriate, she thought. The dress was fitted throughout the bodice and skirt, with just the right amount of flounce at the bottom. Truthfully, Relena had thought of wearing it when she first woke up because she wanted Heero to see her in it. Then she decided to just wear it anyway.

"So does Heero always take off right after you have sex?" Duo asked as he put the car in drive.

Relena's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. "He told you?!"

"No, just a hunch." Duo grinned sheepishly. "But that confirms it. Trowa owes me fifty bucks."

She punched him on the arm, although it wasn't very hard. "Duo!" she scolded. "Why would you even think that?"

"I dunno, the way you're dressed, how you carry yourself… You look like you just got laid."

Relena scrunched up her nose. "Ew. That's not a thing."

"Yeah, it is. I see it with Hilde all the time. She'll be moody and what not for days and then, bam! Resting bitch face vanished! Instant cure." His grin widened.

Relena just shook her head. "You're lucky that woman even touches you, ever."

"I know, right?" He chuckled. "But, also, I'm awesome, so..."

Relena rested her chin on her hands and looked out the passenger window, trying to reorder her thoughts. "I'm guessing Heero didn't tell you where he was going?"

"Does he ever?" Duo snorted. "This _is_ Heero we're talking about."

"But you spoke to him this morning?"

"Briefly. He told me had to leave and asked me to look after you. He trusts me more than Trowa, evidently."

"He said that?" Relena frowned. She hadn't realized Heero thought of these kinds of things.

"No, but I'm the one he called, so what does that tell you?" Duo bragged. "I'm the man."

"Uh-huh. Anyway. Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah, that you guys boned-"

"Duo!" she cut him off. "Don't even go there."

"Geez, Princess! Relax! I'm just kidding. Yeah, there was one other thing he mentioned..."

"What was it?"

Duo glanced at her quickly before returning his eyes to the road. "He said if I let anything happen to you…" His tone turned serious. "He said he'd crush my balls."

Relena's mouth dropped open. "He did _not_ say that."

"Not in those exact words, no. But that was the gist."

She just shook her head in response.

"He loves you, dude." Duo was the only person who could somehow get away with calling a woman "dude."

"Ugh, I don't know…" She bit her lip.

"You know he does," he pressed. "I could tell he really didn't want to leave. He sounded pissed."

"Really?" She felt newly hopeful.

"Yup. Really bumming. He even suggested I fly Hilde in so you can spend some time together. He said he thought you could use a friend."

Relena blushed. What, did he find her pathetic? It was easy enough to try to fix everything for her now that he was gone, wasn't it?

She waved a hand dismissively. "No need to go to all that trouble. I'm sure Hilde has plenty going on at home. And Dylan has school…"

"Are you kidding? He ditches all the time, anyway."

Relena gaped at him. "Ditches? How? He's _eight_."

Duo just chuckled. "Like father, like son. He'd love a trip! Besides, if I'm going to be working with you the next few weeks, might as well bring the fam, right?"

"Well, why not?" Relena shrugged. Maybe entertaining Hilde and Dylan would provide a welcome distraction.

Relena and Duo arrived at the government center a short while later. She briefed him on her schedule as they rode the elevator up to her office, and he seemed to be listening intently as they strode down the hallway together. Then, once inside her committee's office space, he was quickly distracted.

"Ooh, donuts!" Duo practically lunged at the breakfast goods displayed on a long table in the lobby. "Want one?" he held a powdered confection out to Relena, while stuffing another in his mouth.

"No, thanks." She selected an orange instead and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Enjoy. I'll be in my office if you need me."

"Okay, cool." Duo glanced around their sleek, minimalist surroundings. "Nice digs."

"Thanks." Relena flashed him a smile before turning her heel to head into her private office. "Oh, and Duo, I'll ask my assistant to book a flight for Hilde and Dylan, so you don't have to worry about it."

He beamed at her. "Hey, thanks! I'll let Hilde know so she can start packing."

"Great. Let me know if there's a certain time she'd prefer to leave, and we'll try to find the most convenient flight possible."

Duo plopped down in one of the lounge chairs and turned his attention to his phone, but gave Relena a thumbs up.

After a few hours of making calls, sending emails, drafting reports, and doing her best to avoid social networks and news sites, it was time to break for lunch. Relena retrieved Duo and headed down to the cafeteria with the rest of the staff.

When they were back in the office later, she was surprised to see a delivery woman struggling to hold a massive floral arrangement in what appeared to be a heavy ceramic vase.

"Oh my goodness! Sorry." Relena's younger assistant, Elise, quickly ducked around the woman to let her into the office. "You can just set those down anywhere, please."

The woman placed the flowers on the front desk, and pulled a tablet from her cross-body bag. "Relena?"

"Um, that's me." Relena glanced around at her staff in confusion, who wore equally puzzled glances.

"A secret admirer, maybe?" Elise teased. "Does it say who it's from?"

Relena signed the tablet, thanked the delivery woman, and went to examine the brilliant display of lavender roses and baby's breath. She was impressed at the quality of flowers that managed to grow in the colonies, especially since these were such an unusual color. She fished around inside for a card and was soon rewarded.

 _Sub-rosa._

Relena's eyes widened. It was Latin for "under the roses." Heero told her once the phrase was a metaphor for a well-kept secret.

So. These had to be from him.

This was the second time today he'd managed to surprise her. She wasn't sure what it meant.

"So, who is it?" Elise craned her neck to peer over Relena's shoulder.

Relena quickly folded the card and shoved it in her blazer pocket, giving Elise a little smile.

"We should keep these out here on your desk… they make the lobby look so lovely." With a nod to the rest of the staff, Relena retreated into her private office and shut the door.

Once she was sitting at her desk, she took the card out of her pocket and turned it over in her hand. She debated tearing it in half, capturing the gesture on video and sending it to the phone Heero was using. If he was even still using it. But, then, he had to order the flowers somehow, right?

She was still trying to decide how to handle this latest development when she heard a knock at the door. She glanced up to see Duo poking his head in.

"Hey. What's going on?"

She waved the card in response, pulling a face. "Did you know about this?"

"Know about what?" Relena handed the card over to Duo. His nose crinkled as he read it. "Is that _Latin_?"

"Yes. It's code. From Heero, of course."

Duo let out a low whistle and handed the card back to Relena. "Sheesh, those roses were probably pricey, too… What the hell did he do to you? Besides taking off, I mean."

"That's it, I guess." Her brow furrowed. "I find this whole thing rather odd, though."

"Yeah, is that completely out of character, or what?" Duo laughed. "But what'd I tell you? The guy's crazy about you. Maybe he's just now figuring out how to show you."

Relena's frown only deepened as she mulled over this new development.

"You must've given it to him real good, huh?"

"Duo!"

Just then there was another sharp rap at the door. Relena motioned for Trowa to step inside.

"Excuse me for just dropping in, Miss Relena. Duo texted me about Hilde's flight tonight, so I wanted to see what time you'd like me to relieve him, so he can go pick her up at the spaceport."

"Oh, right." Relena waved a hand. "Come on in. We can go over my schedule for the rest of the day." She brought up her calendar on her phone as Trowa took a seat in front of her desk. Duo remained standing, leaning against the doorjamb.

Trowa turned and gestured back at the lobby behind them. "Nice flowers."

"They're from Hee-" Duo blurted, stopping short when Relena glared.

It was too late; Trowa had heard more than enough.

"Really," he said flatly. "Hm. That's not like him." He looked back at Duo. "Another one of his jokes?"

Relena stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Trowa picked up an old stuffed teddy bear with a blue bow around its neck, which was perched against Relena's computer monitor. "Like this?"

Relena glowered. "That's _not_ a joke. That bear belonged to a little girl that died during an attack that Heero initiated on an Alliance base. It was the first time he'd accidentally killed a civilian. _And_ her dog."

Trowa stifled a laugh. "Heero has a sick sense of humor…"

Behind him, Duo snorted.

Relena rolled her eyes. "You two… I fail to see how that's remotely funny."

"Check your memory," Trowa chuckled.

"Now that's _hilarious_ , coming from you!" Duo guffawed. The two men both laughed gruffly.

"I don't get it…" Relena sighed in frustration.

"It's funny because, for months, Heero tried to do nothing but kill you," Trowa explained. "And then…" He paused to chuckle some more.

"And then…" Duo jumped in. "The guy goes and gives you a _teddy bear._ Like, what the hell?"

"I thought it was a bomb," Trowa admitted.

"Nah," Duo stretched his hands and laced them together behind his head. "I knew the guy was nuts for her all along. Which is part of what made it so funny."

"Yeah..." Trowa shook his head slowly. "I'll never understand that guy."

"Lucky for you, you don't have to." Relena pulled her calendar up on her computer, determined to make a subject change. "Now, gentlemen, can we please get back to work?"


	6. Inquiring Minds

That evening, Trowa accompanied Relena to a committee meeting while Duo left to pick up Hilde and Dylan from the spaceport.

Later, the group agreed to meet downtown for dinner. Relena and Trowa arrived first and secured a table in her favorite bistro, making awkward small talk while they waited for the others to arrive (Relena never had had much luck conversing with Trowa). When she saw the family of three walk up, she broke into a grin and rose to greet them.

Hilde wrapped Relena in a bear hug. "It's so good to see you!" the petite black-haired woman cried.

"You, too. It's been far too long." Relena beamed at Hilde, then bent down toward the youngest Maxwell. "Hello, Dylan. It's good to see you as well."

The eight-year-old, whose hair was almost as long as his father's, was absorbed with his mini tablet. Duo clapped him on the back.

"Dylan, manners!" he scolded. The boy's head snapped up, his long hair swishing, brown eyes blinking up at her. "Hi, Miss Relena," he mumbled.

Relena smiled and extended her hand, which Dylan gave a tentative shake. Then he went right back to his game.

"Boys." Hilde rolled her eyes. "Sorry about that. We tried for a girl for a while, but…" She smiled wistfully. "Anyway. What's good here?"

Soon the conversation was flowing as easily as the wine, and Relena had forgotten all about her situation with Heero. Almost.

Until Hilde leaned over at one point and, gesturing to Dylan said, "Ok, I know little pictures have big ears and all, but spill: did you and Heero play 'hide the kielbasa' last night, or what?"

"What?!" Relena screeched.

Dylan looked up from his tablet. "What's that?" Hilde's attempts at subtlety had clearly backfired.

Hilde patted his head. "It's a game grownups play, honey."

He frowned. "Why can't I play?"

Trowa was suppressing a laugh. His efforts were mostly unsuccessful.

"You can play when you're older," Hilde murmured.

"No fair!" Dylan protested.

"It requires... special equipment." Duo grinned devilishly.

"Oh, please..." Relena picked up her wine glass and drained it.

"Duo, stop," Hilde lectured her husband. She rolled her eyes for Relena's benefit. "Never mind. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. We can talk in private later." She winked.

 _"Bad, bad, bad, bad boy…"_ Duo started singing into his glass. _"You make me feel so good!"_

"Oh my god…" Hilde touched her hand to her temple. "I can't take him anywhere."

Relena scanned the room for their waiter. Perhaps it was time for the check.

Later that night, Relena was enjoying a silent ride home, courtesy of Trowa. As much as she liked working with Duo and wanted to catch up with Hilde, it was nice to have a break from their incessant questions and teasing. She knew the married couple meant well, but the last thing Relena wanted to talk about was her situation with Heero. Whatever it was. She was determined not to stress about it.

After all, it certainly wasn't the first time he'd left under similar circumstances, and Relena knew it wouldn't be the last. What _was_ different, this time, was how Heero had acted post-departure, checking in on her before he was in some remote location and truly couldn't talk. The flowers were a nice touch, too. Relena couldn't help but wonder what had changed. Maybe her words had finally gotten through to him?

So what was the problem, then? Relena couldn't quite pinpoint the uneasy feeling in her stomach. Was she worried about his undisclosed mission? Heero had assured her many times in the past that most of the Preventer missions he accepted were "routine" and research-oriented, such as scouting potential locations for hidden bases, checking up on old satellites or other equipment floating around in space, even recovering debris from the war years ago. Heero told her these things, but Relena knew he had to be lying at least half the time, especially when news would break that a quasi-upbringing had been squelched.

But if this mission truly was routine, that could mean that her situation was more urgent than his - after all, she had not one, but _two_ Gundam pilots looking after her safety now. If Heero were heading into something dangerous, surely one of the others would have gone with him.

"Right?"

"Hm?"

Relena's head snapped up when she heard Trowa's voice. She hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud. Also, his low tone reminded her of Heero's.

"Sorry." She tried to cover her fumble. "Just thinking out loud."

Trowa's green eyes darted over to her, then back to the road. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, thank you. I... just have a lot on my mind this evening." Relena looked down and smoothed the skirt of her yellow dress, which was now stained with the tiniest flecks of red wine. She made a mental note to ask Trowa to drive her by the dry cleaner's on the way to work tomorrow morning.

"Your friends were pretty nosy earlier," Trowa observed.

" _My_ friends, huh?" Relena had to laugh at his indifference. "Well, inquiring minds want to know, I suppose. It's fine, really; I'm used to it."

"This sort of thing happens with Heero a lot, then?" Trowa's face colored instantly. "Sorry. It's none of my business."

Relena was surprised he'd asked. She wasn't used to discussing Heero with Trowa; but, then, she wasn't used to discussing much of _anything_ with Trowa.

"It's all right." Relena waved a hand. "It does, and it's hard, but I accept that it's just part of his chosen vocation. It's always been this way, for both of us." She tilted her head to the side. "Do you have a girlfriend, Trowa?"

"Not at the moment," he answered with no trace of emotion. "Kind of difficult, with all the travel."

"Exactly." Relena nodded.

"That and… no offense, but I find that most women are rather… challenging." Both his gaze and tone of voice remained impassive.

That caught Relena off-guard, and she laughed. "You and Wufei both, huh?" Trowa chuckled at that.

"Maybe you just haven't found the right one," she mused, tapping a finger to her chin.

"Definitely not," he agreed. "But I'm not in any hurry to commit, to be honest. The nomadic life suits me."

"I understand. Frankly, I'd be surprised to see any of the former Gundam pilots settle down. Other than Duo and my brother, of course."

"I'm sure Heero will. Eventually."

Relena peered at Trowa to see if he might be kidding, but she couldn't detect any humor in his expression.

"You really think so?"

"Why not? He's already got the right girl."

Relena's eyes flashed. "Oh, is _that_ so? Do I know her? She must be some superwoman with the power of infinite patience. They should erect a monument in her honor."

"Funny…"

"She could be downing a martini glass. Or, better yet, a bottle of gin…"

Trowa shook his head. "Just have faith in him, Relena. He takes his time; that's just how he is. Heero has to be methodical about everything. He'll probably marry you once he's ensured that he's eradicated every known threat in the universe."

"Well, guess I won't start picking out any place settings any time soon," Relena quipped. "Good thing I have plenty of other things to keep me busy."

"You know," Trowa pointed out, "you don't have to wait for _Heero_. If he gets the sense that you're moving on without him, I'm sure that would propel him into action a little ahead of his schedule."

Relena laughed weakly. "I'm afraid that's not true. See, whenever we agree to 'see other people,' I try in vain to enjoy the bland company of a fellow diplomat for as many months as I can stand, while Heero turns into an angry recluse. And then it usually takes several months to coax him out of hermitdom so that he's even remotely pleasant to me again." She rolled her eyes. "And on and on it goes.,."

Trowa frowned. "Hmm… Well, maybe you should just be honest with him. Tell him exactly what your expectations are. If you laid it all on the line, I doubt Heero would say no."

"And you think _women_ are challenging?" Relena winked.

"Not all women, clearly." Trowa tipped his head as he glanced at her. "Heero's a lucky guy."

"Thanks." Relena flushed.

After what was possibly the longest conversation they'd ever had, Trowa dropped Relena off at her apartment. He offered to walk her up to her door, but Heero only ever came in with her when he was staying the night. She felt quite safe in her building. Even so, she noticed that Trowa didn't pull away until she had gone inside her apartment, locked up and turned on some lights. She stood watching the black SUV slip away into the night before drawing her curtains.

Then she looked around her one bedroom loft and sighed. In the silence, it felt truly empty. Even though she only stayed here a few months out of the year, she'd tried to make the place cozy, with the worn leather sofa she'd sourced from an antique furniture shop, fuzzy knit throw pillows, and faux-fur throw blankets to match. The overall palette was neutral, with dove gray walls that reminded Relena of the early morning fog rolling over the sea in the Sanc Kingdom. She'd even added a few nautical touches here and there, including seashells she'd collected from the beach back home, a lantern candle holder and paintings featuring lighthouses and other seaside motifs.

But this would never be home to her, much as she tried; it was a slightly more personal version of a hotel room. Just a place to lay her head when she wasn't at work.

But, then, nothing truly felt like "home" to Relena, not even the Sanc Kingdom. She didn't remember enough of her childhood there to feel a great sense of attachment. And when she visited, the Peacecraft estate felt even more empty than this apartment.

What she wanted was to move someplace new, she decided. Maybe, just maybe, if she and Heero could keep it together long enough, they could start over somewhere, together.

"Don't be silly," she scolded herself. How could she even pretend to know what Heero wanted, anyway? They had just reconnected yesterday, after several months. There was no way they were ready to even begin that conversation.

Relena tried to reroute her thought pattern for the rest of the night with a cup of chamomile tea and lavender bubble bath. After an hour or so, she felt relaxed enough to drift off to sleep.

Yet as soon as she slipped under the covers, she was hit with an even more intense wave of loneliness. Especially when she could smell Heero's distinct scent on her pillowcase.

She pulled the pillows from "his" side of the bed against her and hugged tightly. She'd have to resort to pretending he was there, for now. This got old quickly, and she found herself reaching for her phone. Against her better judgment, she dialed the number Heero had called her from that morning.

She was greeted with an automated voice.

 _"This number has been taken out of service. Your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the number and try your call again. Goodbye."_

"Your imaginary boyfriend is distant and unreliable. You are a pathetic loser," Relena sighed into the phone. "Please get a life and do not attempt this call again."


	7. Bad Sushi

The next several weeks were a flurry of activity, as Relena unleashed her latest strategy to improve public perception of the Mars project: "Ask an Astronaut," a series of televised "town hall meetings" with several of the engineers, scientists and former military personnel who had embarked on missions to Mars. Relena thought it would be a fun way for members of the press and public to voice their questions about the Red Planet while also giving her colleagues a chance to share their tales of heroics, and perhaps allay any fears people might still have over the idea of colonization. She was hoping Milliardo and Noin would participate, but didn't want to push them, knowing it was, at times, a sore subject.

Another astronaut she knew would probably never agree to this? Her erstwhile "boyfriend."

Relena was aware of each day that ticked by since she had last heard from Heero, but when she looked at the dates on the calendar, she allowed herself to think only of work. The anxiety she felt in the first few weeks was soon replaced with acceptance, even complacency. _It is what it is,_ she'd shrug to herself whenever she caught herself thinking about him for too long.

She'd managed to refrain from calling Une to probe her about what, exactly, Heero's current mission entailed, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. Heero _had_ said he would try to call her "in a few weeks" and see her around the holidays, which were fast approaching. All Relena could do was latch on to the key word: _try._

Longer hours at work, coupled with social activities with her colleagues and Duo and Hilde, proved to be the remedy to lonely nights at home. In fact, Relena tried to arrange it so that she was in her apartment as little as possible. She'd even started keeping a change of clothes at the office, along with a blanket and throw pillow, for nights when she didn't want to be home at all.

These tactics kept her calendar full all the way up to Thanksgiving. While the Earth Sphere United Nation did not officially recognize the American holiday, members of ESUN had agreed long ago that nations should be allowed to continue to celebrate their individual sovereignties and other unique cultural observations. And so, to accommodate her American colleagues, Relena's office was closed for the day.

Duo, who never turned down an opportunity to celebrate anything, especially a day dedicated to eating, had invited Relena to spend the day at the apartment he and Hilde were renting.

Dylan and Duo were watching American football in the living room while Hilde and Relena tended to the meal in the kitchen. The women joked about the stereotypical gender roles being played out, although neither of them cared. Relena had no interest in football and found the ritual of chopping vegetables rather relaxing.

She was cutting into her second onion when a wave of nausea washed over her. Relena set her knife down, clutching her stomach.

"You all right?" Hilde frowned.

"I'm fine," Relena said instantly. "Maybe I just need some water."

"Sure, hang on a sec…" Hilde was bent over the oven, checking the thermometer in the turkey.

"Don't worry, I've got it." Relena retrieved a glass and poured herself some water from the refrigerator. As soon as she took a sip, she wished she hadn't.

She clamped her hand over her mouth and walked as briskly as she could to the bathroom without breaking into a run.

She had just enough time to flick on the exhaust fan before bending her head over the toilet and retching.

 _"Why?"_ Her mind screamed at her. _"Last night's sushi?"_

The thought only made her retch again.

She washed her hands thoroughly and splashed her face with icy cold water before returning to Hilde. The petite brunette turned away from the oven and faced Relena with hands on her hips.

"Now what was _that_ all about?"

Relena was taken aback by Hilde's scolding tone. "What do you mean? That's not the typical reaction to have when someone is sick..."

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I'm not stupid. Sit," she ordered, pointing to a chair. Relena sighed and obeyed.

"Do you want more water?"

"No thanks. I don't think I should…" Even the smell of the turkey cooking was making her stomach churn, and not in a good way.

"Well, what do you think it is?" Hilde took Relena's place at the cutting board and expertly chopped the rest of the onion.

Relena rested her chin in her hands. "I don't know. Maybe I had some bad sushi?"

Hilde clucked her tongue. "Nope. You had the sashimi. So did I. So did Duo. We're fine." She looked over her shoulder and shot Relena a glare. "Come _on_..."

Relena looked up and met her gaze. "Maybe some tea will help."

Hilde just laughed. "It's not food poisoning, honey, but sure, tea might make you feel better. Listen, go into my bathroom and check the bottom right drawer in the bureau. I'm sure I have some extras lying around."

"Extras?"

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Pregnancy tests. Seriously, Relena, you're supposed to be the smartest woman I know."

Relena gaped at Hilde for what felt like a full minute. "No," she finally answered, shaking her head vehemently.

"When was your last period?"

"A month ago?"

"Are you sure?"

Relena grabbed her phone from her purse. She was sure she'd had her period recently. She had an app that tracked it.

She scrolled through her phone. Apparently she'd deleted that app a while ago and forgotten. So she thought back to her last period, and even resorted to counting weeks on her fingers.

It had been… a while.

Hilde seemed to enjoy watching Relena process this. She walked over to a calendar on her refrigerator and flipped back a few pages.

"This is the day Dylan and I arrived on L1." She pointed to the first Tuesday in October. "The day after Heero left."

She flipped the calendar to November. Relena grimaced.

"Seven weeks."

Hilde shook her head sympathetically. "Just go take the test. Then you'll know for sure."

Relena found herself clutching her stomach again. Had it really been that long since she and Heero…?

She placed both hands over her face and moaned.

"This is the _worst_ possible timing..."

"Yeah, for one thing," Hilde agreed.

"Not helping," Relena groaned.

"Why don't you just take the test, and we can lament your horrible life later, okay?"

"What?" Relena snapped her head up and saw the mirth in Hilde's eyes. "Not funny."

"Oh, please, like you're not spoiled enough already? God, Relena, this is probably the best thing that's ever happened to you." Hilde spread her hands. "You're gonna raise a gorgeous baby in a beautiful palace…"

"Without a father?" Relena sighed. "I'm afraid that unlike you, I don't have a husband."

"Please." Hilde started stirring her gravy. "As if Heero isn't going to come swooping in on a shiny Gundam and propose to you any day now. You worry way too much."

Never mind the fact that Heero no longer _had_ a Gundam at his disposal, Relena decided she was in no mood to argue with Hilde.

Nor was she in the mood to take a pregnancy test at her friends' apartment - in the middle of a holiday celebration, no less - but, then, could she really wait until she was alone that night?

Relena took her phone with her into the bathroom and opened a new text message as she sat on top of the toilet seat. At times, when she was frustrated, she had taken to texting the number Heero had discontinued, even though she knew no one was on the receiving end.

 _"Stupid selfish jerk,"_ she typed, and hit _send_. It didn't make her feel any better.

Moments later, she sat poised with the small plastic stick between her fingers, staring at the digital sensor. A stopwatch on her phone was ticking down the seconds.

The phone was on silent, so Relena didn't hear a satisfying _"ding!"_ when it finally went off, but the silence seemed more fitting.

She stared, transfixed, at the sensor as a bright, clear blue plus sign appeared.

Relena was rooted to her seat as several emotions washed over her at once. And a fresh wave of nausea.

"I'm pregnant?" She couldn't quite believe it. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

 _"Oh my God..."_


	8. Heartbeats and Heartbreak

For once, she didn't have a plan.

And even if she'd had a plan, it was moot because she couldn't even discuss said plan with the father of her unborn child, because he was possibly off floating in outer space somewhere.

When Hilde said Relena was lucky, she obviously hadn't factored in the fact that Relena's "baby daddy," as she'd referred to Heero, was AWOL, and probably would be for some time.

Relena continued sending angry text messages into the void over the next several days as she pondered her options.

The first thing she'd done, the day after Thanksgiving, was schedule an appointment with a nearby gynecologist for the following week. At-home pregnancy tests were one thing; Relena wouldn't fully believe she was pregnant until she had solid evidence in front of her. She owed that to herself, and to Heero, as it were, before she could truly start panicking.

Relena was already anxious enough on the morning of her appointment, going to see an unknown doctor in a relatively unknown city. This unexpected turn of events would be slightly easier to deal with back home, she thought. Sure, she was getting to know the L1 colony well enough, but she would feel a lot more comfortable back on earth, with her usual "lady doctor."

The doctor she was meeting, Susan Wong, had a long list of positive reviews on her practice's website, so Relena tried to focus on those as she waited to be seen in the posh waiting room. She was also relieved to note that this doctor's office felt more like a spa. It was definitely one of the nicer offices she had seen on the colonies, decorated in soothing pastels with sleek white furniture. The atmosphere made Relena feel a tiny bit better, even as she contemplated her uncertain future.

After a short while, her name was called by a fresh-faced medical assistant. Relena rose, shaking slightly, and followed her down a short corridor. They stopped in front of a scale, which the assistant had Relena step onto. Her usual weight had only gone up by a few pounds, but she figured it was probably from her clothes and shoes. She wondered how long it would be before the real weight-gain would begin.

Once inside the patient's room, the assistant took Relena's vitals and left her to change into a paper gown. Relena's hands twitched as she removed her clothes.

She wished, not for the last time, that she wasn't doing this alone.

Dr. Wong breezed into the room a few minutes later, and Relena was relieved to find the older woman so warm and chatty. And if she had recognized Relena at all, the doctor didn't make it known as she asked routine questions.

"So when did you take the test?"

"Last week. Thursday." Relena swallowed around a dry lump in her throat.

"And when did you start your last period?"

"I… I'm not sure." Now Relena was hoping this woman _really_ didn't know who she was; she hated sounding so unsure and incompetent.

"That's all right. I'll know a little more in a few minutes. Now I need you to lie back, and scoot down on the table a little more…" She waited as Relena got into position, placing her feet into the stirrups at either end of the table. Relena watched nervously as Dr. Wong put on plastic gloves and picked up a long plastic wand, covering it with gel from a large pump.

"Now, you're going to feel a slight pinch," Dr. Wong warned. Relena winced as the cold, hard plastic met her delicate area. It mostly just tickled, but it took great effort for Relena to stay still and relax.

"There we are…" Dr. Wong hummed as she maneuvered the wand and watched the screen on the ultrasound machine.

Relena squinted at the dark image of what she knew was her uterus, although she couldn't tell what anything was.

"See this little shape over here? Looks kind of like a kidney bean?" The doctor gestured. "That's your baby."

Relena gasped. "It's so tiny…"

"Yes, it is," Dr. Wong laughed. "But you'll be surprised how quickly it grows. You should start feeling him or her kick sometime in the next ten weeks."

"Really?" Relena pressed her hands to her belly, as if she expected to feel something then. "That long?"

The doctor laughed again. "You're just about eight weeks along. But we should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat now. Hold on…"

Relena took her literally, and held onto the sides of her abdomen, as if that would help the doctor located the heartbeat. Dr. Wong maneuvered the wand around some more before the machine started to reverberate with a loud pounding.

"That's a nice, strong heartbeat." The older woman beamed at her patient.

Relena wasn't ready for the fresh torrent of emotions to come at her like a tidal wave. She burst into tears.

"It's okay, sweetie," Dr. Wong soothed her. "That's your baby!"

The thought only made her sob harder. The doctor patted her hand. "This is a big surprise, huh?"

Relena just nodded, sniffling.

Dr. Wong handed her a box of tissues. "Do you need some time to think about what you'd like to do?"

Relena took a moment to blow her nose and wipe tears from her eyes before answering. What did she want to do? She wanted to ask Heero what _he_ wanted to do.

But, no - this was all on her.

She smiled weakly at Dr. Wong. "No, I... want to have this baby. Although I might be on my own." More tears welled up, just as she thought she was done crying.

Dr. Wong gave Relena's hand a squeeze. "That's brave of you. We have some resources that may help you; I know of some wonderful women's counselors and therapists. We have the information at the front desk."

 _Counseling? Therapy?_ More complications to consider...

"Anyway, I'll make you a print, okay?"

Relena nodded, relieved her new doctor hadn't asked her about the baby's father.

"Around ten weeks from now, we'll be able to find out the baby's sex." The doctor busied herself at the ultrasound machine as she made Relena's print. "But we'll see you back here before then. I'm giving you a pregnancy calendar for you to reference, and on your way out, be sure to see the girls out front to schedule your appointments. Does that sound good?"

Relena sniffed. "I… I was going to go home in a few weeks."

"Where's home?"

"Earth." Relena cleared her throat. She didn't want to specify too much, because "Sanc Kingdom" was a dead giveaway. "Europe."

"Ah," Dr. Wong frowned and nodded. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But you should be okay to travel for a while yet. Do you have a doctor you plan to see once you're home?"

"Yes," Relena nodded, thinking of the gyno she tried to remember to go to once a year for routine checkups.

"Then you can decide where you'd like to have the baby. You still have some time, but you and your doctor at home will want to start discussing a birth plan."

"A birth plan?" Relena tilted her head.

"Yes, you know, where the baby will be born - at hospital or at home, wherever you're most comfortable - what if any medications you might need to use… But you don't need to worry all about that now."

Dr. Wong handed her the dark, fuzzy photograph.

"Right now, just try to get some extra rest. Eat healthy. Try to get in some fitness, but take it easy when you feel tired or sore. You don't have to start 'eating for two,' just yet; again, just try to keep it healthy."

Relena nodded, taking in all of this new information. She looked down at her flat belly.

"When will I start…"

"Showing? It's different for everyone." Dr. Wong spread her hands. "Probably around thirteen or fourteen weeks. But we'll see. You might want to stock up on some looser pants and things now so you have them ready."

Relena felt like her head was swelling. She just wanted to go home and lie down, and process everything alone. She had planned to go to work after her appointment, but decided then and there to take a sick day instead.

What she needed, first, was a walk to clear her head. Checking her phone on the way out of the doctor's office, she saw that both Duo and Trowa had texted asking if she wanted an escort back to work. She groaned out loud. It had been hard enough to convince the guys that this was one appointment she had to attend alone. Hilde had offered to bring her, but Relena had to explain that she just wasn't up for company. Luckily, her friend had understood.

So Relena sent brief responses to Duo and Trowa saying she was off sick and didn't need any assistance. Then she breathed a sigh of relief. It was nice to have a little alone time, especially when she had so much new information to process. And since her career required her to be extroverted, Relena truly relished her alone time.

She wandered down the street and passed several enticing shop windows. Relena rarely shopped for fun, although she enjoyed refreshing her wardrobe every now and then. Her hands unconsciously flew to her stomach. Soon, she'd have to start buying maternity clothes. Relena stopped short in front of a store selling just that. She stood gaping in the window at stylish-looking empire-waist dresses and tops, along with wrap sweaters and ponchos. She frowned, tilting her head as she studied her reflection, trying to imagine herself getting bigger and wearing those things. She backed away when she realized she'd caught a saleswoman's eyes. No, Relena wasn't quite ready to go there.

Instead, she wandered some more until she came to a book shop and cafe. Relena pushed the wooden door open and eagerly stepped inside. The place smelled heavenly; she practically inhaled the coffee's nutty, slightly spicy aroma. Then she remembered - no caffeine. A small part of her heart sank. Instead, Relena went over to the cafe counter and ordered a decaf herbal tea. Then she took her time wandering through the shop, examining brightly-colored book spines. She quickly located a section devoted to health, narrowed it down to women's health and, finally, pregnancy. Relena glanced furtively before ducking into the section. She'd have to be careful, and quick, but she wanted to buy some books on pregnancy so she could take them home and read immediately. She'd already looked up some facts about pregnancy online, but Relena had always been more of a print person, and wanted something tangible to hold onto.

But right now she didn't even know where to start; there were at least a dozen titles that looked appealing.

"Can I help you, miss?"

Relena practically jumped. She hadn't heard anyone come up behind her. She blushed and turned to face what looked like a kindly older woman with white-blond hair wearing a nametag that read "Maureen," which was close to Relena's adoptive mother's name. Relena smiled at the woman, who didn't seem to recognize her.

"Yes, I'd like to buy these, please." Relena gestured to the pregnancy books.

"Oh, how nice! Congratulations, sweetheart." Maureen patted Relena's arm, friendly green eyes twinkling.

"Ah, thank you." Relena flushed furiously, not quite knowing how to respond.

"Which ones would you like, dear?" Maureen picked a shopping basket up from a pile on the ground and handed one to Relena.

"Oh, all of these." Relena pointed to the dozen or so pregnancy books on the shelf above them.

Maureen's drawn-on eyebrows shot up. " _All_ of them?"

"Yes, please."

"That's going to be expensive, dear. Maybe I can see if I can give you a discount…"

"Oh, no, that's quite all right," Relena waved a hand. "Full price is fine. Thank you, though."

Maureen's eyebrows somehow arched higher, adding to the collection of wrinkles on her forehead. "All right, then. Let me help you with those." The two women each grabbed several books and dropped them into Relena's basket.

And $304.07 later, Relena thought, _I might just be able to get a handle on this whole pregnancy thing._

Relena was reading one of her new baby books, her feet propped up on her sofa, when her apartment's holographic projector sounded to indicate an incoming message. She hesitated before answering. A hologram of Hilde's face appeared on the living room wall.

"Relena! Let me up! I have food."

"Grant entry to Hilde Maxwell." Relena's instruction temporarily disabled her apartment's security system, long enough to let Hilde inside. She swept into the foyer a few minutes later with a bag full of groceries.

"I'm here to make you dinner!" she announced cheerfully, striding into the kitchen and placing the bulging bag on Relena's counter.

"Thanks." Relena smiled weakly from the couch, patting her stomach. "I couldn't eat a thing, though."

"Nonsense." Hilde started unpacking the food. "You have to eat."

Relena shook her head. "The doctor told me not to go crazy, and keep it healthy."

"Bullshit. When you're pregnant, you get to eat as much as you _want_. Besides, you need meat." Hilde held up some hamburger patties. "Your body - and the baby - needs the protein."

To Relena's surprise, her stomach growled; it was the first she'd felt truly hungry all day.

As soon as the meat was sizzling on the stovetop, Relena realized the smell didn't bother her at all. She wandered into the kitchen, perching on a stool next to the island and resting her elbows on the tabletop as she watched Hilde cook.

"Thank God one of my friends is a gourmand." She smiled appreciatively.

"Good. Then you can tell Duo it wasn't my Thanksgiving meal that made you sick," Hilde glowered.

"Well, thanks for covering for me that day. I'm not ready to tell anyone else yet."

"You really shouldn't anyway. It's still early days, and, well, you know…" Hilde busied herself flipping the burgers. "I'd wait till around fourteen weeks, or so, to tell anyone close to you. You probably won't even be showing till then, anyway. I didn't even start showing till around eighteen weeks."

"Well, you're tiny," Relena observed.

"Tiny people show, too, even more so! I just carried the baby really high."

Relena looked down at her stomach. "Ugh, I hope I do, too. The longer I can stave off the media…"

Hilde waved the spatula she was holding. "Don't even worry about that right now. You can get away with covering it up for months before the public even gets wind of it. Just wear lots of black."

Relena sighed. "You're right; that's the least of my worries right now."

"So, nothing from Heero yet?"

"Nothing at all. Not that I'm expecting much at this point."

Hilde shook her head morosely. "Honestly, I don't know how you've put up with his shit for so many years..."

Relena rested her chin in both hands. "It's not all his fault, you know… Work is demanding, for both of us."

"Bullshit." Hilde slapped the spatula against a patty, and it sizzled accordingly. "Don't tell me he's too stupid to know what you want."

Relena stiffened. "Well, I…"

"I mean, you've told him, right?"

Relena shifted in her seat. "I've told him I wanted more of a commitment, in the past. Yes."

"What did you tell him, exactly?"

Relena tried to think back on various conversations she'd had with Heero over the years, particularly the ones that had turned into arguments, which usually started whenever she would attempt to define whatever it was they had. Heero would balk and then Relena would cave, afraid to lose him. Unless she was angry at him, and then she would waste time dating non-contenders like Carter Davenport, with whom she knew she had no real future.

Relena did her best to sum all of this up for Hilde, but it only riled her dark-haired friend up even more.

"So you never gave him an ultimatum, or anything like that?"

"No, never." Relena shook her head vigorously. "That would never work on Heero."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Hilde pointed the spatula at Relena. "All men respond to ultimatums. Worked on Duo."

"You mean… he didn't propose on his own?"

Hilde threw her head back and laughed.

"Really?" Relena couldn't quite believe it. Despite all of Duo's bravado, she had always pegged him as a romantic. Especially since he and Hilde had gotten married so young.

"No, I'm afraid I forced him into it. But if I hadn't, we'd still be living in sin, and I wouldn't have this." Hilde waggled her ring finger.

"Living in sin?" Relena laughed at Hilde's choice of wording.

"You know, figuratively speaking." Hilde grinned. "Something my late nana would probably say. But anyway, I told him he needed to marry me or else, and I got my proposal a few weeks later."

Relena nodded glumly. "Well, I told Heero I wanted to marry him. Then we had sex. And that's how I got pregnant."

Hilde burst out laughing again.

"It's not funny," Relena groaned, laying her head down on the counter.

"Well, it could've been worse, right? He could've say no."

Relena lifted her head. "I didn't ask him…"

"You did tell him what you wanted, though. And that was better than his past reactions, right? He didn't get annoyed or leave."

"He did leave," Relena pointed out.

"Yeah, but he called you, and sent you that ginormous bouquet of roses. All is not lost." Hilde turned and nudged a bright orange bag of chips Relena's way. "Eat," she instructed.

Relena opened the bag and looked inside, dismayed. "What is in these?"

"I don't know - potatoes and stuff?" Hilde turned her attention back to the burgers, which were browning nicely.

"The doctor said 'keep it healthy,'" Relena repeated.

"A little junk food won't hurt you. Or the baby. You have to listen to your pregnancy cravings."

Relena tried a chip and was surprised to find it delicious. "I'm not sure I've had any cravings yet, but…"

"Well, when they do come, don't second guess them, just give into them. Whatever makes you feel better." Hilde grinned. "I speak from experience. And Dylan turned out fine."

"Hmm…" Relena, who normally ate as close to organic as possible, continued to dig into the chips. The salt was doing wonders for her mood, at least.

"Oh! I have wine," Hilde announced. Relena's eyes went round.

"Hilde, I think we have very different ideas on how to handle pregnancy…"

"You can have, like, a glass of wine a day. Seriously," Hilde insisted. "Look it up."

"I don't know…" Relena started looking around for her phone.

"Let's just ask your smart house." Hilde put on a faux aristocratic tone. "Jeeves? Oh, Jeeves, are you there?"

"I turned that function off, except for the front door sensor." Relena rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to ask my _house_ whether pregnant women can have wine. And anyway, I don't need any."

"Fine, suit yourself! But I think a glass will make you feel better. In fact, I know it will." Hilde's eyes gleamed over her full glass.

"Should you be cooking while drinking?" Relena teased.

"It will make the food better. Promise."

By the time Hilde was serving up the burgers, loaded with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and just about every savory condiment they could find in Relena's refrigerator, her mouth was watering.

"Oh my god, this is the best thing I've ever tasted," she told Hilde while her mouth was still full.

"I ate a lot of burgers when I was pregnant," Hilde reminisced. "And so much bacon. Oh, man, it was fun. Poultry made me sick, though. I couldn't even stand the smell of it cooking."

Relena nodded. "Unfortunately, I had the same problem at Thanksgiving."

"Well, you could try eating it again once the nausea wears off. Maybe in a couple more weeks."

"How long does that take?" Relena asked before taking another juicy bite.

Hilde shrugged. "Depends. I only had morning sickness for a few weeks, but some women I hear end up being sick the whole pregnancy."

"That's horrible."

"Yeah, well, could be worse," Hilde mused. "There's a lot that can go wrong while you're pregnant."

Relena groaned, setting her burger down on her plate. "As if there isn't enough to worry about…"

"Aw, come on Relena." Hilde reached over and patted her hand. "You know it won't be all sunshine and rainbows, but you're gonna be fine. Just keep taking care of yourself like normal, and if you have any weird things happen, call your doctor."

"What weird things?" Relena frowned.

"Well, you know, like a lot of abdominal pain or cramping, or excessive blood loss, or something." Hilde shrugged. "Just anything out of the ordinary."

Relena looked horrified.

"You bought some baby books, right?"

"I bought _all_ the baby books." Relena nodded seriously. Hilde laughed.

"Read 'em, then. Keep a journal if that helps. And you can call me any time of day to ask weird questions, or just chat, okay?"

Relena leapt up from her chair and hugged Hilde's neck. "Thank you, thank you."

Hilde laughed and hugged her back. "Crazy lady."

Later, they were lounging on Relena's sofa watching a romantic comedy and eating bowls of ice cream drenched in hot fudge sauce (Hilde had thought of everything). Hilde offered Relena another glass of wine, which she once again declined.

"I don't want to risk it," she said, pressing a hand to her belly. "I will check with my doctor, though."

"My doctor said it was fine," Hilde shrugged.

Relena arched a skeptical brow. "And you _really_ drank while pregnant?"

"Sure! Not every day, but now and then. And Dylan turned out fine. Look how big he is already! So you shouldn't worry. A little alcohol's not gonna hurt Heero's kid."

Instantly, Relena's eyes welled up.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Hilde paused the movie. "Do you not want me to mention him ever again? 'Cause I'm fine with that."

"No, it's okay." Relena dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. "I just… miss him. And wish I could talk to him about all this."

"Yeah," Hilde sighed. "I wish we could just find out where he is already. Why can't Une just tell you?"

"I haven't asked, but I already know the answer..."

"Classified," the women chimed in unison.

"Well, what about mitigating circumstances?" Hilde gestured at Relena's stomach. "You should tell Une."

"Should I?"

"I would, if I were pregnant and Duo was off on a mission, yeah."

"But it's still a little soon, right? I should maybe wait a few more weeks to tell Une."

Hilde shook her head vigorously. "Mm-mm. You could have called her the minute you found out, if you'd wanted, since this concerns the father. In fact, I don't think you even need to tell her you're pregnant; just tell her you need to speak to Heero, and it's an emergency."

Relena sighed. "She might not believe me…"

"Well, _then_ you can tell her. But I'd call sooner rather than later."

The next morning, Relena did just that from her office. She debated whether to call Une from her apartment the night before, but decided she'd feel better about it in a controlled setting. That way Une might even think the matter was of an official nature.

Relena was relieved that Une answered the video call right away.

"Hello, Relena. You're looking well."

"Thank you." Relena nodded at the Preventer commander and former colonel through her screen. "So are you. It's good to see you."

"Good to see you, too. I'm only sorry it's not in person. Perhaps I'll see you at the ESUN New Year's Eve ball in Brussels, if not before?"

"I hope so," Relena said warmly, thinking it was unlikely at this point.

"What can I assist you with today?"

Relena lowered her eyes briefly, then looked squarely at Une, her composure regained.

"I need to get a message to Heero."

"Ah…"

Relena didn't like the sound of that _"ah"_ one bit. "It's urgent," she added.

"How urgent?" Une raised a single brow. "Because if it's concerning the terraformation, or anything of a personal nature, I would suggest that it wait."

"Anything of a personal nature?" Relena repeated. "Such as?"

"Well, that would entail any personal matters between the two of you." Une cleared her throat. Relena felt her temper flaring. She gripped the edge of her desk.

"Tell me, have you spoken to Heero recently?"

"No. I have not," Une said flatly.

"But you have the means to communicate with him?"

"If you're referring to his Preventers-issued phone…" Une rolled her eyes. "Apparently it's been disabled."

Relena's shoulders sagged. "He said he would be gone just a few weeks…" she said weakly. "It's been two months."

Une frowned. "We didn't put a time limit on this particular assignment, but I agree it is taking a little longer than usual. It must mean he's found something."

"Like what?" Relena leaned forward.

"That would be classified." Now it was Relena's turn to roll her eyes. "We're not even sure what he might have found, anyway," Une clarified. "But I don't think it's odd that he _hasn't_ checked in at this juncture. I mean, you know Heero."

"Can you at least tell me where he is? Even a general vicinity?" Relena spread her hands. "Earth or space?"

"I'm sorry." Une shook her head resolutely.

Relena felt tears sting her eyes, and she fought to keep them from sliding down her cheeks. The commander must have registered her disappointment.

"I wish I could relay your message to him, Relena, I really do." Une's voice had taken on a comforting tone. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do when he willfully disables his communication devices."

Relena wiped her eyes. "Bug him?"

Une laughed. "Perhaps. For what it's worth, I can call you the moment I hear from him. And when I do, I'll tell him you're looking for him."

"And that it's _urgent_ ," Relena emphasized.

"Of course." Une frowned. "Are you… You're not in any danger, are you?"

"No." Relena shook her head. "I'm sorry if I alarmed you."

"No, that's all right. Is everything working out with Trowa and Duo so far?"

"They've both been great. Thank you for allowing them both to stay on L1 for so long."

"You're welcome. Normally we wouldn't dispatch two full-timers for this long of a stretch at one location, you know, but Heero did tell me before he left that he thought the situation warranted it."

"Why is that?" Relena's eyes widened. "Did he have some intelligence?"

"Not that he told me. Probably more of a hunch. Between you and me, I think he was going a little overboard about your personal safety, asking for two Preventers… as if he thought it would take two of them to replace him." Une rolled her eyes again. "Although he does sort of have a point..."

 _Before he left…_

The commander's words suddenly struck Relena. Duo and Trowa had arrived on L1 the night before Heero left her in her apartment, and he had made it sound like the other two were just tagging along. The next day, Duo had boasted that he'd been placed "in charge" of her safety. Perhaps Heero had neglected to inform Duo of his plans ahead of time, but still…

"Wait..." Relena tried to form her racing thoughts into a question. "Just to clarify, Heero asked specifically for both Duo and Trowa to come to L1? _Before_ he left on assignment?"

"That's right."

That confirmed it. Heero knew the whole time he was going to be leaving, but instead told Relena he'd been "called away" early that morning.

 _Bullshit._

Une looked puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

Relena waved a hand. "It's nothing. I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time."

"Not at all."

"It's just…" Relena frowned.

"Yes?"

"May I just ask… why you decided to send Heero on this particular mission, instead of one of the others?"

"That's classified," Une clipped automatically.

"Granted," Relena nodded. "I understand, but can you tell me generally? Is this something you felt only Heero could handle?"

Une looked thoughtful. "You know I can't say exactly, but yes, obviously Preventer Yuy has a very unique skillset. I can't say whether he was the only one who could take on this particular assignment, however."

"I see." Relena bit her lip. "Thank you, Une. I appreciate your help."

"Any time, Relena. I only wish I could have been more helpful."

"That's all right. Just please give Heero my message, as soon as you can."

"Of course. Take care, Relena."

"You, too."

The women said their goodbyes, and Une disconnected the call. Relena waited until the image had vanished from her screen before dropping her head into her hands, sobbing as if her heart would break.


	9. Nine Months to Eternity

"That son of a bitch." Hilde cursed over her caesar salad at the bistro. A few older women having lunch at a nearby table lifted their heads, but Hilde didn't seem bothered by their attention. She just took a long swig of her iced tea and continued to gape at Relena.

"He didn't."

"Yes." Relena nodded. "He did."

"Ugh, that shithead."

One of the nearby women cleared her throat. Relena lowered her eyes to her own salad.

"I can't believe that son of a bitch lied to you," Hilde continued angrily.

"Well, 'lied' is kind of strong." Relena swirled her dressing-soaked lettuce around with her fork. "I mean, he couldn't tell me everything…"

"Yeah, well, he could have told you he was leaving before he f-" Hilde lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry, _slept_ with you."

Relena flushed scarlet. "If it's even true that he really _did_ know beforehand. But Une could be telling me anything to placate me. Right?"

"Yeah, but why would she?" Hilde leaned back in her seat.

"So I wouldn't, you know, freak out on her," Relena explained.

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Okay, I didn't go to fancy private school, but I do know what 'placate' means. I just don't get why she wouldn't be straight with you... What's with all the subterfuge?"

"Ooh, good word." Relena speared a crouton, holding it up in a gesture of approval.

"What can I say? I'm a bored housewife." Hilde shrugged before taking another bite of salad. "I read a lot."

Relena smiled wistfully. "Think that'll be me in another seven months?"

"I damn well hope so. If Heero gets his shit together."

More throat-clearing from the neighboring table. Relena just giggled.

"So you're feeling better about things, then?"

"Not really," Relena admitted. "But you've managed to cheer me up, for the second time this week. So thanks."

"Know what else would cheer you up?"

"What?"

"A little nip in your iced tea." Hilde produced a small bottle of vodka from her purse and dangled it at her dining companion.

"I changed my mind," Relena deadpanned. "You're dangerous."

Hilde looked up from mixing her concoction. "You're still gonna let me babysit though, right?"

Relena brought a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. Duo was heading back to their table from the men's room.

It had been Relena's idea to go out for lunch and invite Hilde, and Duo had been all too eager to eat "off-campus" instead of in the government center's cafeteria. Relena found that Duo was exactly like her pet dog growing up and hated being cooped up indoors for too long. It fact, Duo and dogs shared plenty of other traits, too...

"Did you miss me, ladies?" He went to take his seat.

"Actually, no." Hilde smirked. "Babe, I think I left my sunglasses in the car. Can you go check?"

"Whaddya need sunglasses for? The phony colony skies are overcast today..." Duo gestured overhead.

"I'd just like them. Please," Hilde added, pouting for good measure.

"Fine; whatever you say, dear." Duo rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Be right back."

As soon as he was gone, Hilde leaned across the table and whispered conspiratorially. "Listen, I think you should tell Duo. And Trowa."

Relena's eyes widened. "Now? Why?"

"Because maybe they know where Heero is. Or at least have some idea. I bet they could help."

"I don't know… I'm sure even if they did know, Heero would have sworn them to secrecy." Relena pulled a face. "And he can be _very_ intimidating..."

"So we'll get them drunk and make them tell us!" Hilde cackled.

Relena shook her head fiercely. "That will never work."

"Sure it will! Duo's sure to cave once he's intoxicated, and when Trowa drinks, he can't stop talking." Hilde grinned.

" _Trowa?"_ Relena's nose wrinkled. Even though he had recently opened up to her a little more, she couldn't picture the man intoxicated and chatty. "Are you sure?"

"Sure, I'm sure!" Hilde crowed. "Man, this is genius. Why didn't we think of this sooner?"

"Because I'm not supposed to go around getting my security detail drunk," Relena snapped. "It's kind of counterintuitive."

"Come on; at the very least, it'll be fun," Hilde coaxed.

"Fun for everyone who's drinking, maybe," Relena sighed. "I don't know. It seems like a bad idea..."

"Oh, please," Hilde waved a hand. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Just then Duo jogged back up to their table. "I couldn't find 'em, babe."

"Oops, silly me… Here they are in my purse." Hilde looked up at her husband and shrugged helplessly. "Sorry."

Duo sunk into his seat, shaking his head. "Women."

The girls planned a dinner party, with the explicit goal of getting Duo and Trowa drunk, over a flurry of text messages. It was decided that Hilde would host the gathering at her place that weekend, so she and Duo wouldn't have to worry about finding a sitter for Dylan. But Hilde also promised to make sure he went to bed early that night, so the women could enact their scheme.

Well, it was more of Hilde's scheme, really, but Relena felt she had no choice but to go along with it.

Before she could spend any more time worrying about the possible repercussions of spending an evening plowing her two bodyguards with booze, Relena had some major work milestones to reach. Namely, the inaugural filming of "Ask an Astronaut" in the government center's auditorium.

It was Thursday night, one week after Relena had taken the pregnancy test, and she was relieved to have something else to focus on. Prepping for that night's taping had taken all her energy that day, and she longed for just a sip of a caffeinated beverage to propel her through. She'd already switched to decaf coffee, but even that felt like a compromise since it still contained traces of caffeine. Relena cared more about the health of her unborn child than getting her usual daily caffeine fix, but cutting it out completely was painful. She could only resolve to get used to it.

Luckily, Relena had her capable staff to lean on, and compensate for her foggy concentration. Elise proved to be an immense help in organizing the taping and keeping things moving all night, checking in with the guests and crew and giving Relena constant updates in her headset. Relena thought the younger woman might make a suitable fill-in once she was on maternity leave... _Damn._ She checked herself. So much for not thinking about the pregnancy.

Relena turned her attention to the suave reporter conducting that night's interview, Chip Stellar. The seasoned anchor turned out to be the ideal host for the program, Relena thought, approving of how he balanced thought-provoking questions with charm and humor throughout the exchange. And the first astronaut chosen to appear on the show, engineer Erik Olsen, was likewise an affable interviewee, answering each question with short but informative answers without delving too deeply into scientific minutiae, even cracking a few jokes. And the studio audience took the bait each time, much to Relena's relief.

As Erik fielded questions on how he first decided to join the most recent Mars crew, Relena couldn't help but reminisce on her own involvement.

It was spring of A.C. 205, seven years earlier. Relena was at an ESUN council meeting in Brussels, giving a status update on the terraforming efforts, when a council member expressed displeasure at a supposed "lack of communication" during previous Mars missions.

That's when the then 25-year-old Relena found herself volunteering to act as chief communications officer on the next mission. Meaning she would be going to Mars herself.

At first, her fellow council members protested.

 _"She's too young and inexperienced."_

 _"Relena, you're not an engineer or a scientist!"_

 _"It's too dangerous."_

 _"This might be viewed as a publicity stunt..."_

But once the young Foreign Minister had made up her mind, she was determined to see it through. And, so, a few weeks later, she found herself at NASA headquarters in Houston, Texas to begin her astronaut training.

ESUN had taken over the terraformation project that NASA had begun decades before; after years of wars and shifts in global politics, it had fallen by the wayside. After ESUN formed and united the earth and colonies, it finally made sense for mankind to revisit space exploration once again. And, despite the new leadership, it also made sense to continue the project from the aerospace industry's world headquarters.

After enjoying an extensive tour of NASA's facilities, Relena was ushered into a small auditorium, where her first training course was set to begin.

She quickly took in her surroundings, surprised that the training was taking place in an actual classroom, with small wooden desks, a blackboard and everything. She assumed the space shuttle simulations would come later.

The classroom soon filled up with other trainees, most of them in their twenties and thirties. Relena was surprised, yet delighted, to see so many potential future astronauts, but wasn't worried about too much competition to join next year's mission. Her government status meant that she would be shortlisted, along with Zechs and Noin, if the two of them opted to go back. Relena realized the rest of the team could very well be in the room with her that day.

She pulled out her tablet and took notes as a veteran NASA scientist, Dr. Clive Wiley, gave a history of various Mars missions over the years, which she already knew all about. It was interesting to hear an in-depth explanation of how aerospace technology had evolved, though, especially when considering how it took early Mars astronauts nine months to reach the Red Planet from earth; then they would spend several months on the surface before enduring another nine-month journey home.

 _Nine months?_ Relena was flabbergasted. _That's an eternity!_

The latest rockets could reach Mars in a fraction of the time. ESUN had sent two crews in the last ten years, and each mission had lasted nine months _total_ : three months to get there, three months on the planet, and three months back.

Relena figured she could handle that.

The lecture lasted a little over an hour, and Dr. Wiley concluded with a preview of the following day's discussion. Relena stood, stretched, and bent to gather her things. When she looked up, she met a pair of unmistakable deep blue eyes boring into her from two rows behind.

Relena sucked in a breath before collecting herself and demanding, "What are you doing here?"

Heero Yuy looked up at her through dark, unruly bangs.

"Same as you, evidently."

Relena thought she detected a tiny smirk. She harrumphed, her things forgotten, and balled both hands at her hips.

"You mean _you_ wish to complete the astronaut training?"

Heero gave her a single nod as he packed up his laptop.

"You're sure you really want to go to Mars? It's a major commitment." Relena couldn't picture the enigmatic Heero Yuy signing up for a nine-month mission, let alone one on a remote planet.

Heero never liked to be fenced in, she had learned.

"Are you sure _you_ want to?" he countered, standing and slinging his messenger bag over his shoulder. "You do realize what you're doing?"

Relena rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm quite certain. But _thank you_ for checking."

Her "thank you" barely registered as sarcastic, but she tried. Sarcasm wasn't her strong suit. Heero glared at her as he stretched to his full height, now towering over Relena. She had forgotten when he had grown several inches taller than her, but now she found it irritating.

"I'm just doing my job." He glared down at her.

Relena took a moment to recollect her things. "Well, I've made up my mind, so if you came here to change it, you're already too late."

Heero frowned. "It'll be dangerous."

Relena nodded resolutely. "I know. All the more reason to go through training. Right?"

Heero's eyes bored into her for what felt like a solid minute, but Relena didn't waver, keeping her gaze locked on his. Finally, one of his shoulders slumped in a shrug.

"Fine. Do what you want." He folded his arms over his chest, resuming his aggressive stance. "But I'm going with you."

"Fine," she echoed his stern tone, crossing her arms as well. "You can come with me. But only if you pass the test." Her eyes danced.

"Heh." Heero smirked, as if to say, _Like I wouldn't pass._ He shook his head, giving her something closer to a smile. "You know," he murmured, taking a step closer to her, "you're really something."

She grinned back at him. "Look who's talking."

" _Relena?"_

A voice in Relena's ears shook her back to the present. It didn't belong to Heero, but Elise.

"Relena, we've got about ten minutes left, but it looks like Chip has only gotten to half of his questions. What should we do?"

"Hmm…" Relena paused before pressing the button on her transmitter and speaking into the mic on her headset to answer her assistant. "Give him a ten-minute warning; that might give him enough time for two or three more questions. Follow up with five and two-minute warnings. The end music is already timed in the booth so, worst case scenario, it will start playing while he's still talking. The sound guys should cue him, but just make sure."

"Ok, will do!" Elise chirped.

Relena turned her attention back to the interview, her hands resting on her still-flat stomach. Despite the lack of a visible baby bump, she felt suddenly aware of the presence of her unborn child.

"I can't believe you have a heartbeat, already," she whispered. "You're just a little peanut." The realization made her want to laugh and cry. Her heart fluttered in a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Yes, she was afraid, but she also couldn't wait to tell Heero.

Mars was nothing. They were about to embark on their greatest adventure yet.


	10. Zen Interrupted

Relena started Friday morning feeling more rested than she had in weeks, and chalked it up to a successful first filming of "Ask an Astronaut." Despite Chip having to rush through his questions at the end, it really couldn't have gone any better. Relena could only hope the show would be well received by the press and viewers in the coming weeks.

But for now, at least one weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. As she laid in bed, Relena rested her hands against her stomach, wondering absentmindedly if it would start to look and feel like an actual basketball as it grew. She knew she was still several weeks away from showing; it would be after the holidays before anyone would be able to visibly tell that she was pregnant. Which was good, considering she had a slew of public events to attend between now and then.

After that, maybe she would take a week or two off; she had plenty of vacation time stored up. And, maybe by then, Heero would be back, and they could figure things out together.

Naturally, Relena thought of him as she made her way through her morning routine, popping two slices of bread in the toaster, flicking on the coffee pot. If he were here, she mused, she'd have to brew two pots of coffee - there was no way he would accept decaf. She smiled to herself as the warm, nutty aroma filled her kitchen.

Even though she missed him more than she ever had before - ached for him - she felt more at peace with his absence, knowing it was beyond his control, trusting that he would return to her as soon as he could. Just like he said.

Relena kept replaying their last conversation over in her mind as Trowa drove her to work later that morning.

 _We have things to discuss,_ Heero had said.

 _We sure do,_ Relena chuckled to herself.

Once again, she was grateful Trowa was the one behind the wheel. As much as she enjoyed Duo's company, right now he would be chatty and most likely teasing her about Heero. Relena wanted to maintain her zen attitude as long as she could, and Trowa was basically the embodiment of zen.

Besides, she knew she would hear plenty from Duo and Hilde later during their little dinner party. Hilde would be in full scheming mode and, if Duo ended up getting as drunk as his wife predicted, they were in for quite an evening.

Relena didn't realize she was groaning out loud until Trowa cleared his throat.

"Are you all right, Relena?"

She looked up at him with a start. "Yes, sorry. I'm fine."

"No need to apologize, just making sure you're ok. Do you need to make any stops on the way to the office?"

"No, that won't be necessary." Relena smiled. "Thank you for asking, though."

Things were so polite and professional with Trowa, she thought. It was refreshing. He didn't pry into her business like Duo or make her feel constantly self-aware and on-edge, like Heero did. Of course, she loved Heero, but working with him was often intense and, depending on their relationship status at any given time, completely nerve-racking.

Relena figured it wouldn't hurt to engage Trowa in some pleasant conversation on their way to work. "Are you looking forward to tonight's dinner party?"

To her surprise, he snorted. "I guess?"

Relena covered her mouth as she giggled. "Not your thing, apparently? You like Hilde and Duo, don't you?"

Trowa shrugged. "It's not that. But since Duo will be at home, he'll get wasted, and then he'll be even more annoying than usual."

Now it was Relena's turn to snort. "You sound like Heero, only he would opt for a harsher word than 'annoying.'"

"Probably," Trowa agreed. "Besides, I'll still be working, so it will feel more like babysitting than anything else."

"Well, you won't have to babysit me." Relena patted his shoulder. "You should be able to relax a little."

"Yeah, right." Trowa leveled her with a sidelong glance. "And have Heero on my case later? No, thanks."

"Wow…" Relena clucked her tongue as they pulled into the government center's parking garage. "Did Heero put the fear of God into you guys, or what?"

Trowa shot her a glance before turning into a parking spot. "Pretty much. You know how he operates."

Relena frowned as he turned off the ignition. "Trowa…"

"Yes?" He turned to face her as he unfastened his seatbelt.

Relena peered into his green eyes, trying to her best to read them, but he kept his features as impassive as Heero would.

"Did you… speak with him before he left?"

Trowa stared at her for what felt like a full, uncomfortable minute before answering. "Only very briefly." He turned away to open his door.

"Wait." Relena snatched Trowa's jacket sleeve. "What did he say?"

Trowa glanced back at her over his shoulder, this time not quite meeting her eyes. "You know Heero, Relena. It was the usual: 'Don't let anything happen to her, or I'll kill you.'"

Relena hung her head, still clutching Trowa's arm. "He didn't tell you anything about his mission?" Trowa just shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he added. "If I knew more, I would tell you."

Relena bit her lower lip, not knowing whether she could believe him. Trowa was as guarded as Heero was, if not more so. And she hadn't spent years trying to crack Trowa's stoic demeanor; at least now, she knew she had chipped away at Heero's armor enough that he would share information with her beyond a "need to know" basis, which had always been his go-to line for keeping her in the dark.

But now, Relena had a feeling that Heero had shared more with Trowa than the green-eyed Preventer was letting on - more than Heero had shared with Duo. Or with her.

She was disappointed Trowa wasn't opening up to her. For a moment there, she sensed she had an ally, but now the circus performer's mask was firmly back in place.

She finally let go of Trowa's jacket, murmuring an awkward apology before unbuckling her seatbelt and exiting the SUV. As much as she wanted to pry some more, she knew Trowa well enough to know he wouldn't budge. She'd have to stick with Hilde's original plan, and just hope that it was crazy enough to work.

Relena's morning zen was soon shattered as she settled at her desk and dove into work, which included back to back meetings and press interviews. Even though she'd slept well, exhaustion was starting to take hold, and so was something else.

Later, in a case of the worst possible timing, Trowa happened to enter Relena's office just as she was retching into a wastebasket on the floor.

He immediately shut the door and crossed the room in what seemed like a single step, kneeling down beside her and sweeping her hair back from her shoulder, resting another hand on her back.

"Relena, are you all right?" She peered up at him through her messy bangs, which were haphazardly stuck to her sweaty forehead. She attempted to smooth them, but Trowa beat her to it. She was surprised by the tender gesture and concern in his eyes.

"I…" She began, but found she couldn't quite get the words out. Instead she bent over the wastebasket and retched again. Relena moaned, one hand over her stomach while the other covered her mouth.

"Here." Trowa was handing her a handful of tissues from her desk. Relena took them gratefully and dabbed at her mouth, then used another to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"Come on," Trowa murmured soothingly, taking her by the elbow, slowly raising her to her feet. "I'm taking you home. Or to the doctor. Whichever you prefer. Want me to ask Elise to get you an appointment? Or should we go straight to the ER?"

His level of alarm caught her off guard, and she almost laughed. "No, no, I'm fine, Trowa. Really." Relena plopped into her office chair. "It was just… something I ate."

Trowa frowned down at her. "Really," he said flatly. "You're sure."

"Yes, I'm sure it's nothing." Relena waved a hand. Trowa's expression indicated that he wasn't buying it any more than she believed he knew nothing of Heero's whereabouts.

"I still think you should go home for the day." Trowa folded his arms over his chest as he glared down at her. "You don't want to take any chances and jeopardize your health when you have so much going on."

"I really am fine, Trowa," Relena sighed, rubbing her hands with hand sanitizer from the bottle she kept on her desk. "This sort of thing happens every now and then. It hardly qualifies as an emergency."

She turned to her computer, but out of the corner of her eye noticed Trowa fumbling with his phone.

"What are you doing?" She whirled on him, before realizing how paranoid she sounded.

"Texting Duo so he and Hilde can reschedule their little shindig."

"Trowa…"

"It didn't sound like you wanted to go all that badly, anyway." Trowa glanced up from his phone. "Am I wrong?"

"Yes," Relena said stubbornly, folding her own arms over her chest. "I do want to go. I've been looking forward to it."

Trowa returned his attention to his phone. "Some other time."

She exhaled enough to send her bangs flying upward. "You're as bossy as Heero."

"You need to rest," Trowa admonished her.

Relena threw her hands up. "Here we go…"

Trowa ceased typing on his phone. "In case you're wondering, yes, I'm doing as he would do, because that's what he asked me. Anyway, Duo says we can come over tomorrow night instead, if you're feeling up to it then. It's fine. Now get your stuff; I'm taking you home."

Relena opened her mouth to protest but couldn't get past "Trowa," before he interrupted her.

"You can finish your work from home, can't you? You don't have any more meetings today, last I checked."

Relena wished that she did, just to spite him.

"I'll have to let Elise know," she said, stalling for time.

"Already emailed her." Trowa strode toward the door. "Let's go."

Relena sighed dramatically, for effect, but obediently packed up her things. Normally she would never take orders from a man regarding her work, but she decided to humor Trowa, just this once. For now, it would be better to let him believe she was actually sick than have him discover the truth.

Back at Relena's apartment, she attempted to get some work done from her living room sofa while Trowa poked around, undoubtedly doing his version of Heero's usual security checks. He also had the kettle boiling and at one point set a steaming cup of herbal tea in front of Relena.

"Thanks," she murmured without looking up, pretending to be busier than she actually was on her laptop.

"That should help your stomach," he said needlessly.

"Mm-hmm," Relena agreed, tapping at her keyboard.

"You're out of java, though. Want me to go to the store?"

Relena's lifted her head and gaped at Trowa. "Did you just say _java_?"

"Yeah." He remained expressionless. "Want me to buy some?"

"Maybe." Relena tucked her legs under her. "If I knew what that was…"

"Funny." Trowa's flat tone didn't waver. "I figured I could also pick up some soup for you, if you'd like."

"That's very sweet of you, but no need to trouble yourself." Relena waved a hand at him. "I can just order takeout later."

"And let a stranger drop it off here?" Trowa arched one of his brows. "What would Heero have to say about that?"

"Heero isn't here all the time, you know," Relena sighed. "I assure you, I can handle a delivery boy."

"Hm…" Trowa's gaze swept the room before returning to Relena. "I don't like it."

"You know this place has every possible alarm, right?" She spread her hands. "Heero saw to that. There's really nothing to worry about."

Trowa continued to stare at her blankly. Relena sighed, feeling like she had to continue to address him, otherwise he might just keep standing there. "So, just to clarify, you're ok with leaving me here alone, but it's not ok if I let anyone else up?"

"If you know them, sure. But to order delivery by yourself seems to be inviting in an unnecessary risk factor, which I doubt is included in Heero's security protocols for this residence. That would mean poor planning on his part, and I find it hard to believe Heero would leave any holes."

"Oh, he has a plan for everything, believe me." Relena's eyes rolled. "Did I fail to mention that he has approved only _certain_ delivery personnel, and that we have their biometric data recorded and stored in an authenticator app? In the cloud, or whatever?" She swirled a hand in the air.

"Huh." Trowa crossed his arms over his chest and looked up, as if there were something to see. "Now I'm impressed."

"So." Relena's fingers resumed their clacking over her keyboard. "As you can see, I'm doing perfectly fine. Whether you choose to stick around or not is up to you. If you want, you can cut out early."

She didn't want to tell him that while she didn't mind his company, she was secretly hoping he would leave so she could call Hilde and vent. The two women had been texting back and forth since Relena left work. Hilde was disappointed that tonight's dinner had to be postponed, and mentioned that Duo was worried Relena might have a stomach bug, since she'd been sick at Thanksgiving, too. One thing Relena hated, almost as much as the negative press around her terraformation project, was having people think she was sick, and therefore incapable of performing her duties. In sixteen years she had taken only a handful of sick days, and it wasn't a trend she planned to continue. It was bad enough she would have to take maternity leave in roughly seven months' time. And while Relena was slowly starting to get excited about the baby's birth, she wasn't ready to think about taking all that time off, not to mention the media circus that would soon ensue.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear Heero saying some form of "Careful what you wish for," even if the phrase itself wasn't in his lexicon. Rather, he would most likely just grunt and say, "See?"

"Well." Trowa's voice cut into Heero's in her head. "Seeing as how I don't believe in 'cutting out early' from a Preventer job, looks like you're stuck with me for a few more hours yet."

 _Sheesh,_ Relena thought. _He's either a robot or a mindreader._

"Suit yourself," she said with a smile, trying to sound cheerful. "I'll do my best not to bore you to death."

Trowa chuckled. "Trust me, it won't be a problem." He disappeared briefly into the kitchen, where he poured himself a cup of tea and retrieved his backpack from the counter. Moments later he had settled in the armchair opposite the sofa, where Heero often sat, and started typing away furiously in between sips of tea.

It had been so long since someone else had been in the apartment with her, besides Hilde, that Relena found any and all noises Trowa made to be incredibly distracting. Finally she shut her own laptop's lid and stretched. She needed a break.

She got up, wandered to the kitchen, dug up an old packet of crackers she hoped hadn't gone stale, and emptied them out onto a plate. Then she rummaged in her refrigerator and found some cheddar that still smelled edible. She brought the snack out to the living room and offered some to Trowa, but he declined. Relena shrugged and sank back down onto the couch, realizing as she nibbled how much she missed wine. Maybe once she'd cleared her first trimester she could go back to having a little every now and then...

If Relena were alone she would have turned the TV on, but she didn't want to be rude while Trowa was still working. So instead she watched with fascination as he continued typing with lightning speed.

"What are you working on, a novel?" she teased. He didn't look up, but Relena thought he looked amused.

"Nope. Just reports."

"Ahh..." Relena paused with a cracker to her lips. "Are you telling Une what a pleasure I am to work with?"

Now Trowa cracked a smile. "Something like that."

"Dream job, am I right?"

"I've had worse."

"I don't know, Heero says I can be a handful…"

"Well, he would know, wouldn't he?"

Relena gasped involuntarily.

"I'm sorry." Trowa's face immediately colored. "That came out wrong."

Relena's cheeks, too, flushed scarlet. She knew he was kidding, but his words still struck her like a slap in the face. She darted up and marched back into the kitchen with the plate of crackers, dumping them unceremoniously in the trash.

She hoped she didn't look like she was overreacting to an innocent joke. But, then, maybe she was allowed to be a little extra-sensitive right now, considering she was carrying Heero's illegitimate child.

But Trowa didn't know that, and Relena knew that if he did, he wouldn't have made a comment like that.

She kept her back to him as she poured herself a glass of ice water. Which she then almost spilled upon turning around to find him standing right behind her. He was even stealthier than Heero, somehow.

"I'm really sorry, Relena." Trowa's one visible green eye pleaded with her from behind his long bangs. "That was in poor taste. What I meant to say was what a dream job this must be for Heero, getting paid to spend time with his girlfriend. I mean, I know there's much more to it than that, I just-"

"He's not my boyfriend," Relena found herself saying, her heart thumping wildly against her ribcage.

 _Wait, what?!_ Her mind screamed at her. Why was she _saying_ that?

It was true, she and Heero were not exclusive. But surely they would be, once he found out about the current turn of events.

 _Right?_

Trowa, for his part, remained expressionless, save for a quick arch of his brow. He continued to stand over her, mere inches away. Now Relena found his usually zen presence unnerving. God, he was tall and lanky, but still well-built. And, of course, handsome. Was it awful that she was even noticing? Was she _that_ lonely? Relena took a slow sip of her water, hoping it would instill her with some calm. But her throat felt dry and papery as if she might choke.

Trowa cleared his throat. He seemed to be having the same problem as Relena.

"Is it dry in here?" She clutched at her neck, thinking a subject change was in order. "I should have that checked…"

"I should go," Trowa said flatly.

Before she could say anything else, he had swept back into the living room, deposited his laptop into his backpack and strode out of her apartment in what appeared to be a single, swift motion, without a look back or another word.

A/N: Thank you to all of the readers and reviewers! I love you all!


	11. Party Night

Relena was so perplexed by what had just transpired with Trowa that she couldn't even call Hilde to go over it in minute detail. She wasn't even sure what exactly had happened. Had she said or done something to set him off? She couldn't help but feel as if she had crossed some sort of line that couldn't be uncrossed.

She spent the evening trying to distract herself with a movie, but every recommendation that popped up in her movie app seemed to have "wedding" or "love" or something along those lines in the title. She finally gave up and decided to draw herself a bath instead.

Relena's thoughts swam as she soaked in the lavender-scented bubbles. Naturally her mind turned back to that dreaded subject - marriage. It truly wasn't something she had ever been in a hurry to do, or perhaps in her younger years, she would have pushed Heero to make a commitment. Their relationship had never worked that way, though; it had always ebbed and flowed without any real effort from either one of them. Granted, she knew it wasn't the healthiest of situations, because here she sat, alone and pregnant in her bathtub, not entirely sure where she and Heero stood.

But marriage sure would be convenient right about now. At the very least, a wedding ring would make that elusive line a lot more visible.

Relena's dreams later that night tumbled between wedding dresses and crying babies and Heero floating in deep space. She spent most of Saturday morning in bed fighting off morning sickness, which prevented her from falling back asleep. She was trying to decide whether she should tell Duo and Hilde that she was too sick to come to their party when her phone rang.

Her first thought was _Trowa_ , which irked her. Before yesterday, her ringing phone always made her wonder if it was Heero, even though she knew it most likely wasn't. She told herself she just wanted to clear the air with Trowa, and her eagerness didn't really mean anything.

She snatched her phone off of her nightstand and saw the call was from Duo.

"Hey there, princess!" he boomed cheerfully. "Feeling any better, or is it still puke city over there?"

Relena's stomach churned. She was not about to tell Duo that yes, indeed, she was still experiencing "puke city."

"I'm doing fine, thank you. How are you, Hilde and Dylan getting along?"

"Good. Hilde's cooking up a storm so she told me to call you to see if you're still planning on coming tonight. Unless you have the stomach flu, in which case stay the hell away!"

Relena rolled her eyes. "I don't have the stomach flu, but I appreciate your concern."

"Ha! I knew it." Duo seemed to muffle the phone with his hand before shouting, "HILDE YOU OWE ME!"

The hair on the back of Relena's neck prickled. _Knew what?_

"Duo, what was that about?"

"Oh, nothing." His voice came back at full volume. "Just giving Hilde a hard time for giving you food poisoning, that's all."

Relief washed over Relena, and she chuckled. "Oh, that. Right." As if food poisoning could last over a week. She would let Duo believe whatever he wanted, though.

"So what time do you want me to pick you up?"

Relena's eyes widened. "Pardon?"

"Tonight, silly. You need a ride, dontcha?"

"I thought Trowa was picking me up…" She picked absentmindedly at the eyelet pattern on her duvet. She felt all of fifteen years old wondering if some boy was going to ask her to the school dance. Oh, wait. She was pregnant with that boy's baby…

"Yeah, he can't make it." Duo was starting to sound bored.

"Oh?" Relena tried to keep her tone casual. "Why not?"

"He's got the day off. Said he's got stuff to take care of. I don't know, whatever. Now it's not much of a dinner party, is it? Oh, well, we'll still have fun, I guess. So, what time should I pick you up?"

Relena sat trying to process all of this. "Um, whenever Hilde wants me there is fine."

"How about five-ish? Dinner should be ready by six or so."

"Wow, our parties are getting earlier, aren't they?" Relena giggled.

"Yeah, we're getting old," Duo lamented. "Gross. So anyway, I'll see you around five, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Duo. See you then."

Later as Relena showered, she couldn't help but wonder if Trowa was making excuses to avoid her. She felt bad for making things awkward between them. Maybe his little slip-up in their conversation yesterday was completely innocent, and she had just imagined the apparent innuendo? But, then, he had apologized, so clearly he'd meant something by it. But what?

Relena frowned as she lathered up her hair.

Perhaps the gray line between her and Heero was even fainter to others.

An hour later, Relena was putting the final touches on her makeup when a holographic call came through.

She was surprised to see Trowa's face.

"Hi," she answered breathlessly. "I… thought you weren't coming?"

"Change of plans," he said simply. "You'll need a safe ride home later, and Duo probably won't be up to the task. Are you ready?"

Relena glanced down at her fitted mauve sweater dress with a long-slung tan belt and white tights. It was a slightly more elevated version of something she would have worn as a teen. If she'd known Trowa was picking her up, she might have chosen something slightly less form-fitting, but she didn't want to take the time to rethink her outfit when he was already waiting downstairs. She grabbed a long, fluffy white scarf and wrapped it around her for a little extra coverage, then quickly whipped on a pair of tan knee-high boots.

"I'll be right down!"

That way, she wouldn't have to invite Trowa up to her apartment. She raced to the closet to grab her gray peacoat and her purse on the way out the door.

She found Trowa waiting in the lobby, looking dangerously attractive in a worn, tan leather jacket, jeans and a hunter green sweater that complimented his eyes. It was nice, Relena thought, to see him out of his Preventer attire. And that thought made her blush.

"You look nice," she said brightly, hoping she sounded more friendly than flirty. "Love the jacket. Is it real?"

She groaned inwardly, not meaning to sound so superficial.

Trowa shrugged. "I think so. It's old. You look great," he added, his gaze trained firmly on her eyes. Relena appreciated that he didn't give her an obvious once-over.

"Thank you," she murmured, following him out front to where he'd parked the car.

"It's cold out," Trowa said over his shoulder, as a warning or conversation starter, Relena wasn't sure. "Looks like the colony's weather control system has decided to make it snow a little early this year."

Relena smiled up at the gray sky, dotted with tiny white flakes. "I don't mind. It almost reminds me of home."

"Hm." Trowa looked up, too as he jammed his hands into his pockets. "Odd. This is what I'm used to, but of course I can see that snow on earth is much better. As many things are."

"Not better, maybe…" Relena mused. "Just… different." She threw Trowa a tiny smile as she stood by the passenger side door. She could see him return the smile over the roof of the car before lowering himself inside.

Relena was glad that they were able to talk as friends, as if nothing out of sorts had happened between them, and they continued to chat pleasantly as Trowa drove to the party. She selfishly hoped he would only continue to open up as the evening progressed, especially if Hilde's plan stood a chance of working.

* * *

Relena didn't understand how Trowa wasn't even a little intoxicated.

If she'd been keeping track correctly, he had been matching Duo beer for beer, and Duo was already at the loud, sing-songy stage. Trowa didn't seem remotely affected.

Hilde was a few drinks deep herself, and although she was tipsy, she wasn't nearly as far gone as her husband. The petite brunette turned gleaming eyes to Relena.

"IT'S TIME," she mouthed, not so subtly.

Relena swirled around her half-full wine glass. Luckily no one but Hilde had seemed to notice she wasn't actually drinking from it. She'd even gone as far as to swish the wine around in her mouth before spitting it back in the glass, so now she wouldn't take a real sip from it, even if she wanted to.

She just shook her head at Hilde, still not knowing what, exactly, her friend had planned. They hadn't had much time to formulate a full-fledged plot, but Relena vaguely assumed it had to do with pumping the guys for information. Like that would work. Relena had already learned that if Heero was a closed door, Trowa was a titanium vault.

"Oh, Duo, can you go check on Dylan?" Hilde slurred to her husband.

"Sure, babe." Duo rose, shakingly, from the table.

"Trowa, why don't you go with him?"

"Huh?" Duo looked more puzzled than their guest. "Why d'ya want him to do that? I'm good." He belched, as if to emphasize this.

"Gross," Hilde waved a hand at him. "Just go away, is what I'm saying. Relena and I need to have some girl talk."

Trowa looked from one woman to the other. "Why wouldn't you just ask Relena to accompany you to the bathroom, like women usually do? That would have made more sense."

Hilde just glared at him as she sipped whiskey from a collins glass. "Gee, thanks Trowa! I forgot that girls always have to use the bathroom together. Good to know."

Trowa just shook his head. "You never were much of a tactician, were you Lieutenant Schbeiker?"

Hilde's mouth dropped open. " _How dare you."_

"Do I still need to go check on Dylan?" Duo called from the other side of the room.

"Yes," Hilde snapped. Duo turned and stumbled away toward the bedrooms.

"Why don't _you_ go with him?" Trowa suggested cooly.

"Because, I already told you. Relena and I need to talk without you guys in the room. So why don't you, like, go somewhere." Hilde glared at him.

"Actually, I'd like to speak with Relena privately, if you don't mind." Trowa matched her glare with one of his own.

Hilde's eyebrows shot up as she turned to Relena, her mouth forming a perfect "o."

Relena just shrugged. "You should probably check on Duo, anyway, just to make sure he doesn't somehow manage to hurt himself."

"Right…" Hilde rolled her eyes. "In his thirties and still can't hold his booze…" She walked off muttering to herself.

Relena continued to stare at the red liquid in her glass, not wanting to meet Trowa's eyes. At least the one that was partially visible under his shock of hair.

"Are you enjoying that?" he asked wryly. Relena couldn't help but look up and meet his gaze.

"Mm-hmm," she lied, trying to keep the flush out of her cheeks. "It's delicious."

"Right." Trowa continued to stare directly at her, to the point that she wanted to squirm. It was as if he was playing a game to see which one of them would break first. Relena held her ground, refusing to tear her eyes away. She'd stared down enough powerful politicians and military leaders in her day; she was not going to back down easily.

Finally Trowa reached across the table and snatched her glass by the stem.

"You haven't had one sip."

"I have," Relena protested.

"One, that you spit right back in." Her flush deepened. So he'd been paying attention, after all.

"Well, can you blame me for wanting to abstain from drinking around these two? No one could keep up with that."

"Few things are as dull as being the sole sober person in the room," Trowa mused. "So I don't buy your excuses."

"Well, what's yours, then?" Relena retorted.

"Hm?" Trowa tipped his head at her. "What do you mean?"

She leaned toward him, pointing a finger at his chest. "How come you're not drunk?"

"High tolerance."

"I think you're holding back."

Trowa shrugged. "Possibly. I don't like to drink when I'm working."

"I thought you were off today?"

"Not anymore," he glowered.

"Oh, so this is work?" Relena spread her hands. "I guess we can't just spend time together as friends, then."

"Apparently not."

Trowa's sudden aloofness took her aback. "What's going on?" she blurted before thinking her words through. Maybe it was her pregnancy hormones, but she was starting to have trouble keeping her emotions from rising to the surface.

"Relena, I know," Trowa snapped.

She froze. "Know what?" She was hoping that sentence would be followed with " _where Heero is."_

"You're pregnant."

The words came down like a gavel, announcing her sentence. Even worse, she couldn't come up with the words to mount her defense, because she didn't have one.

"Trowa-"

"Eight, nine weeks, right?" His eyes trailed down Relena's face to her torso, and back up again. The sharp assessment caught her off-guard, and she worked to keep her eyes from welling up.

"How did you know?" she whispered.

"It's obvious. You've been sick on and off the past few weeks, usually around the same time of day. You're avoiding alcohol. One needn't be a sleuth to put the clues together." Trowa frowned, leaning back in his chair. "You could have told me."

Relena folded her hands over her lap. "Only Hilde knows, and that's because she figured it out before I did. I'm not planning to tell anyone else right now; it's still early."

"Right." Trowa nodded. "I just thought…" Finally he broke their gaze, looking down at his beer.

"What?" Relena prodded.

He shook his head without looking back up at her. "Nothing."

Relena thought she detected a hurt expression underneath the mask. But before she could say anything else, Hilde and Duo ambled back into the dining room.

The foursome retired to the living room, where Trowa and Relena spent the next hour or so enduring a loud, disorganized card game with their inebriated hosts. Duo was slumped on the floor, trying in vain to prop himself up against the sofa when Relena announced it was time to leave.

"So much for our plan," she murmured to Hilde as she hugged her goodbye.

"Love you!" Hilde responded cheerfully, giving Relena a tight squeeze.

Relena knew Trowa was annoyed with her, but she couldn't help but shoot him a _get me out of here_ look over Hilde's shoulder.

Ever the gentleman, he helped Relena into her coat and took her elbow as they walked down the steps to the sidewalk.

"Careful," he murmured as he guided her to the car.

Relena shrugged him off. "I can still walk. Thank you, though," she added, a little more softly.

Trowa ignored her, wordlessly helping her into the car. They remained silent for most of the drive back to Relena's apartment. Eventually she grew tired of watching the street lights dancing across the pavement.

She sighed and turned to look at Trowa. "Look. This… is a delicate situation," she began. His facial muscles appeared to tighten, but he kept his gaze firmly on the road. "I would appreciate your discretion, Trowa. I haven't even told Heero yet, because I can't. He doesn't answer his phone and I don't even know where he is."

Relena was hoping Trowa would take the hint, but he said nothing.

"I contacted Une," she added, hoping that might unlock something from his vault of secrets.

He frowned. "What did she say?"

"She said she couldn't get in touch with Heero, either, and she certainly could not disclose his location." Now Relena was frowning. "If she even knows, that is. I have a feeling she doesn't know in the slightest."

Trowa gave her a sidelong glance. "Well, that's typical of military personnel, Relena. You as a politician are all too familiar with guarding well-kept secrets. Une's not going to let on how much she really knows. Her livelihood - and your safety - depends on it."

" _My_ safety?" Relena latched onto what she hoped was a hint. "Do you mean mine personally, or civilians in general?"

Trowa shook his head firmly. "I know about as much about this current mission as you do, Relena. When I spoke of safety, I was only referring to the proverbial 'you.'"

"Right." Relena nodded, sensing a little chip in the armor. "And Heero handpicked you to come to L1, did he not?"

She heard Trowa inhale sharply through his nose, knowing she was trying his patience. "Heero asked us to come here with him that night, yes."

"He told you about the assignment?"

"He told me he had to leave."

"When?"

"You're quite the interrogator, aren't you?" His eyes narrowed.

"Trowa…" Relena tried to keep her voice from whining.

"Why does it matter when he told me?"

"Because it does."

Trowa took one hand off the wheel to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I met Heero and Duo in the spaceport on L2. My initial assignment was to come here and help secure the auditorium for the public forum on the terraformation. Then sometime in the middle of the night I got the call that Heero had to go."

"He called you himself?"

"Yes."

"You don't remember what time?"

"I could check my call log if you'd like."

"Yes, I would, actually…"

"Relena, you're being ridiculous." Trowa took his eyes off the road for a second to glare at her. "Is this because Heero took off in the middle of the night without telling you?"

Relena opened, then immediately closed her mouth. Obviously he had put two and two together, knowing how far along she was in her pregnancy, but she didn't like that he'd pieced together the fact that Heero had impregnated her the very night he left. It made her feel more pathetic than she could readily admit.

"Duo told me you were upset," Trowa admitted. "And remember, I was there shortly after Heero sent you that delivery."

"Did he?" Relena muttered, turning again to glare out the window.

"Send the flowers?" Trowa sounded perplexed.

Relena looked over at him sadly. "Or someone else could have done it. Someone who felt sorry for me."

Trowa clenched his jaw, and said nothing more until after they'd reached Relena's building and he'd eased the SUV into a parking spot.

 _Sub-rosa. It means a well-kept secret..._

Relena shook inside her peacoat. Trowa _was_ hiding something from her. She just knew it.

She wanted to press him for more but he was exiting the vehicle, so she followed suit, trailing him into the building's posh lobby and all the way across the marble floors to the equally gilded glass elevators.

Relena felt his eyes on her as she completed her first of three iris scans.

"Do you want me to come up?" he asked with a hint of hesitation.

She turned and looked up at her tall companion, and decided she wasn't quite finished with him yet that evening.

"Please," she said, attempting to sound cordial.

They rode the elevator up several floors in silence, which continued as they entered Relena's floor and, at last, her apartment.

Now she _really_ wanted a drink, but tea would have to do. Relena shrugged out of her coat and busied herself filling up the kettle while Trowa paced nearby.

"I did order the flowers," he admitted, finally.

Relena gasped, whirling on him. "I knew Heero couldn't-"

"Because he asked me to."

She almost dropped the mug she was holding. Instead she set it down as gently as she could on the counter, but it still clattered from her shaking hands. "He… what?"

Trowa took a step toward her. "He sent me a message, told me what to get and what to write. Well, he was less specific about what to get. He just said roses. I chose the color based on what was available, but I thought you might like it." He shrugged. "They looked nice in the lobby, at least."

Relena gaped at Trowa, struggling to believe what she was hearing. "I wonder why he asked you."

"He knew Duo would be with you. Like I said, he had it all planned."

 _He had it all planned._

Fear like a long, sharp icicle stabbed Relena's heart.

What else did Heero have planned? How long _was_ he going to be away?

"Trowa…" Her voice quivered as her throat went dry. "He… Heero's coming back. He is. Isn't he?"

Trowa took another step toward her, hand outstretched. "Relena…"

Her chest tightened, and Relena pressed a hand over the sudden ache. There was nothing she could do to halt the torrent of horrific thoughts that rushed her like a freight train. She was rooted to the tracks, frozen in the headlights.

" _Heero!"_

She buried her hands in her face as sobs coursed through her, and she crumpled. Once the tears started, she couldn't stop them or the squeezing sensation that seized her chest. Relena's vision swirled as the breath escaped her lungs.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to all you beautiful readers and reviewers! Special shout-out to Scarlet Eve, whose brilliantly funny work, "Drinking Buddies" helped inspire the party scene. If you have not read it, GO. NOW. You won't be sorry.


	12. Weightless

**Spring A.C. 205**

 **Houston**

Heero and Relena were dancing in zero gravity.

It had been his idea to sneak into the simulation chamber after midnight, when the engineers and fellow trainees would be long gone.

Even though Relena had experienced weightlessness before, it had never been for prolonged periods of time. So Heero was helping her get used to it gradually, before she would be subjected to a full-throttle ride in what NASA affectionately referred to as the "vomit comet."

"This is fun!" she called to him, easily turning somersaults in the air. "I'm flying!"

Heero floated toward her, his hands outstretched. "You're easily amused." He took both of her hands and pulled her to him, until their faces were nearly touching.

"Well, this is all old hat to you," she teased, dropping his hands only to loop her arms around his neck. "Remind me why you're here again?"

His hands snaked around her waist. "To keep you out of trouble," he said gruffly.

Relena could see the hunger in his eyes, and it made her catch her breath. The two had been an "item" on and off for nearly a decade, but his blatant desire still had the power to take her by surprise.

She refused to give in right away, though. It had been several weeks since they'd last seen each other. He could wait.

"So you are following me to Mars," she laughed, brushing their noses together.

"I'm not following you," he glowered. Despite his now-grumpy expression, he didn't break their contact.

"You're following me, the way I followed you to Antarctica. Remember that?" Her eyes danced. "When you think about it, Mars is basically the sa-"

His mouth closed over hers before she could finish. She gasped and gently pushed him back. "What was that for?"

He tightened his grip on her waist and bent his head back toward hers. Relena angled her head to the side so that his lips brushed her cheek.

"Well, that was rude," she chided him, giving his chest a poke. "I'm trying to have a conversation here."

Heero rolled his eyes, a habit he'd undoubtedly picked up from her. "We've done enough talking."

She allowed the second kiss, but broke it off before Heero could deepen it.

"Relena," he murmured her name, drawing her back, his dark eyes pleading.

She shook her head. " _You're_ trouble." She gave him a little shove, which sent him floating a few feet backward. Relena smiled satisfactorily at him.

Heero crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her as he floated past. "It's been a while."

Relena tossed out a staccato laugh. "Whose fault is that? Where have you been the past few months, anyway? I don't suppose you'll tell me that." She gazed at him coolly.

"Working," he growled. "Same as you. Now come here."

She shook her head playfully. "You'll have to catch me first." She spun away from him as hard as she could.

It didn't take him long.

"Nice try." He came up behind her, his breath hot in her ear. He brushed her hair back and pressed a kiss against her neck. "Let's get out of here."

"You know…" Relena cast him a nonchalant look over her shoulder. "I didn't even miss you this time. In fact I've been so busy, I hardly noticed you weren't around."

A wry smile tugged at Heero's lips. He slid a hand down her side and gripped her hip, his other fingers tracing her jawline.

"Like hell you didn't."

This time, when Heero kissed her, she didn't break away. She sighed as his lips parted hers, her eyes fluttering closed as she relaxed against his touch.

" _Heero…"_

It wasn't Heero's face, but Trowa's that appeared to Relena when everything came back into focus. She blinked in confusion as light flooded her vision.

The stark white surroundings quickly revealed that she was in a hospital room. Relena looked up at the flourescent lights on the ceiling, then back down to the thin white blanket covering her, then over to her left side, where Trowa sat looking at her worriedly, down to her left wrist, where an IV needle was taped in place.

"What…" she started weakly.

"You fainted, so I brought you here." Trowa covered her right hand with his. "I hope you don't mind. They said I could stay with you till you woke up. I'll let them know that you have."

With that, he reached for a remote that was sitting on Relena's bed and pressed a button. She laid still as she tried process everything. _Fainted?_ Her hazy mind couldn't remember.

She was still dancing with Heero in zero gravity. Relena closed her eyes, her mind desperately clinging to that floaty feeling. If she wanted, she could float her way back to him.

A nurse swept into the room and checked Relena's blood pressure and temperature before inserting another needle into her right forearm, filling a few vials with blood.

"The doctor wants to do some labs," the nurse explained calmly. Relena just nodded, barely registering the other woman's presence. "In the meantime, are you up for a urine sample? We've been giving you fluids, so your bladder should be nice and full."

Relena grimaced, her eyes darting over to Trowa.

"Want me to leave?" He made as if to stand.

"That's all right." Relena took the small plastic cup from the nurse and slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed, taking care to wrap her too-big hospital gown around her otherwise unclothed body.

Since she was still hooked up to the IV machine, she had to drag it with her into the nearby bathroom, and maneuver carefully as she attempted to urinate into the small cup. Then she brought it out to the nurse, who helped her back into the bed.

"The doctor will be in shortly," she told Relena.

"Shortly" turned out to be hours later, or at least it seemed that way. Relena fell in and out of sleep while Trowa kept busy on his phone. At one point she asked him if he'd told Hilde and Duo what had happened, and he admitted he hadn't; Relena asked him not to say anything yet, hoping to keep her hospital visit under the radar. Then Trowa said he was pretty sure people recognized Relena when she was being admitted; so she asked him to have Elise contact Sandra Beauregard, ESUN's public relations manager back in Brussels. She hoped some vague statement would keep the press at bay, for now.

Finally, a balding man in a lab coat came in and introduced himself as Dr. Coleman.

"Is this your husband?" He motioned to Trowa. Relena shook her head, her face burning. "Boyfriend?"

"I'm her bodyguard," Trowa interjected.

"Very well." The doctor appeared to make a note on his tablet. "You're the one who brought Relena in, yes?"

"That's correct."

"Thank you, sir, you did the right thing. Now, if you'll beg my pardon, I should speak with Relena privately."

Trowa nodded and excused himself, but not before giving Relena's hand a squeeze. She smiled up at him gratefully and watched him depart. Once the door was closed, the doctor approached Relena's bedside. His next words were grim, but he kept his delivery emotionless.

"Relena, I'm afraid I have some news that may shock you."

"Oh?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Our tests indicate that you are pregnant. Now, I wouldn't panic if I were you; you still have plenty of time to decide what to do." He reached into his lab coat. "Here are some pamphlets that may help…"

Relena stifled a laugh. "Thank you, Dr. Coleman, but I already knew. About eight weeks."

"Oh." He frowned slightly, shoving the papers back in his coat. "I see. Did you take a test at home?"

"Yes, and I followed up with a doctor to confirm."

"And I presume you had an ultrasound?"

"Yes, I did."

"Very well, then." Dr. Coleman cleared his throat. "Well, that's one reason you might have passed out. Any cramps or vaginal bleeding?"

Relena shook her head vehemently.

"Nausea or vomiting?"

"I've been sick on and off for the past week or so. I figured it was just morning sickness." Panic prickled her chest. "But that's supposed to be normal… Do you think the baby's all right?"

"Yes, it's normal, and I'm sure the baby's fine. You didn't appear to hit anything when you fell; looks like your bodyguard was there to catch you. Anyway, we'll do an ultrasound to be sure."

Relena let go of the breath she'd been holding.

"Your vitals look good." Dr. Coleman scrolled through his tablet. "But based on your initial labs, it looks like you're slightly anemic. Your ferritin levels are pretty low. And you're dehydrated. Make sure you're eating and drinking enough, and getting extra rest. Okay?"

Relena nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

"I'll tell the tech to get ready for the ultrasound, and someone will be back to get you soon." He looked up from his tablet, unsmiling but not unfriendly. "Take care, Relena."

She waited for what felt like another stretch of eternity before an older woman came in and wheeled her bed down a hallway and into another small room. She slathered Relena's belly with gel and maneuvered the wand around. The ultrasound, like last week's, revealed a strong heartbeat.

"The baby's doing just fine," the tech told her, smiling.

Relena could have collapsed from the relief that washed over her.

The tech wheeled her back into the first hospital room, and Dr. Coleman popped back in shortly after.

"Everything looks good so far, but I'd like to keep you here overnight for observation," he told her. "We can give you something to help you sleep."

Relena nodded. "I'd appreciate it, thank you."

Sleep sounded heavenly. Sleep was where Heero was.

The nurse came back and brought Relena a pill and a plastic cup filled with ice water. Relena popped the pill and prepared to drift away. Just as she was nodding off, she glimpsed Trowa's outline coming through the door. She opened her mouth to say something, but she wasn't sure what came out as drowsiness carried her off.

When she awoke the next morning, Trowa was sitting next to her, wide awake and on his phone, speaking curtly to whoever was on the other end.

"Affirmative… I have to go," he said as soon as he noticed Relena, pulling his phone from his ear and giving it a quick tap.

"Well." Relena cleared her throat. "Don't mind me."

Trowa shrugged. "Duty calls. How are you feeling?"

"Much better." She sat up and stretched. "Hungry."

"That's good. I'm sure you'll be getting some breakfast soon."

"What about you? You must be starving. Have you been here all night?" Trowa nodded once. Relena raised an eyebrow. "Did you sleep?"

"Not really, but I'm no stranger to all-nighters. Besides, Duo and Hilde are on their way. I'll grab a nap later."

"Well, thank you for being here." Relena smiled warmly at him.

"No problem. I'm just glad you're doing better." Trowa rose from his chair and sat on the end of the bed. "You were… pretty upset last night."

"Oh..." Relena thought back to the night before, but it was all kind of a blur. Or maybe that was the medication she'd been given. "Well, it doesn't matter. As long as the baby's all right."

"Of course." Trowa stood abruptly. "I should be going, but I hope you get some rest. I'll send Hilde and Duo in."

His sudden departure surprised her, but Relena just gave him a smile. "Okay, Trowa. Thank you for everything."

He just nodded before making his exit, leaving Relena puzzling over his odd behavior. Her next visitor turned out to be someone other than Hilde or Duo; Relena looked up in surprise when her assistant, Elise, poked her head in the door.

"Hi, Relena!" she practically whispered, tiptoeing over to the hospital bed. She placed a small vase of vibrant pink and orange roses and carnations on a nearby table, infusing the bland surroundings with some much-needed color. "How are you doing?" The younger woman's blue eyes were wide as saucers as they swept over the IV sticking of Relena's arm.

"I'm doing well, thank you." Relena pushed herself up to sit back against her pillows. "The doctor said I'm just a little anemic. I'll be fine."

"Oh, you poor thing!" Elise pulled a face and patted her boss's hand. "That sounds awful."

"It's not so bad." Of course, Relena wasn't going to tell Elise any more than that, for now. _Need-to-know basis,_ she thought. "Did you contact Sandra?"

"I did, just in case the press gets wind of this. I haven't seen any headlines so far, but I wanted to see if we should go with 'sick' or 'exhaustion'?"

Relena shook her head firmly. "Both sound bad. I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm too unwell to work, which is simply not the case. If Sandra has to say something, let's make it minor. A cold, or something equally benign. Even _anemic_ sounds more serious than it is."

Elise pulled out her tablet and nervously tapped her stylus. "I don't know, Relena. I think it might be a good idea for you to take a little time off."

Relena gaped at her. "Why? This really is nothing."

"Well, you've been sick the past week or so. What if you just get worse? Then this really could blow up, and you don't want any more bad press around the project, right?" Elise spread her hands. "Besides, Christmas is only a few weeks away and everything slows down then, anyway. What's the harm in taking a little vacation time? You usually take a few days, at least. Maybe just say you're taking some family time instead?"

Relena had to admit that it wasn't the worst idea, but she still didn't like it.

"There's a lot of work to be done between now and Christmas," she protested. "The engineers are supposed to submit their latest satellite designs, and we have to vote on those before the end of the year."

"Yes, well you can still review the drafts at home, and vote remotely," her assistant pointed out.

Relena straightened herself up further. "I'll be in the office tomorrow and all of this week. And next. Then, I may fly home the following week, depending on what we have going on. All right?"

Elise nodded briskly, jotting notes in her tablet. "Understood. Want me to start looking into flights?"

"If you could. But it can wait until you're in the office tomorrow. Go enjoy the rest of your weekend." Relena managed a slight smile.

"Okay, thank you." Elise gave Relena's hand another pat. "Rest up!"

Relena waited until her assistant had left, then laid back and closed her eyes, realizing how tired she still was. She was used to working herself to the point of exhaustion, and then working some more, but she knew if she wanted a healthy baby, she would have to start listening to her body more.

Still, work was her solace. It grounded her and kept her sane. Otherwise, she might sink into self-pity, or send herself into another panic worrying about Heero.

The next few weeks would keep her busy. She would make sure of it.

* * *

 _A/N: In case these past few chapters have been woefully devoid of Heero... well, that's what flashbacks/dream sequences are for, my friends. Did anyone catch which Gundam Wing episodes were referenced in this chapter? Anyway, there is still much more to come! Thank you to all the readers and reviewers so far!_ _You guys rock._


	13. High Hopes

"So tell me again how this is part of your job?"

Duo was sitting in Relena's office twirling the ends of his braid with a bored expression. It was a week and a half after her hospital visit, and the time had passed without any more health incidents, allowing her to focus fully on work. Even her pesky morning sickness was starting to subside. She glanced up briefly from the piles of papers splayed across her desk.

"Someone has to review these plans and vote on the best ones to recommend to ESUN..." She unconsciously chewed the back of her pen, a nervous habit she'd picked up recently.

"Yeah, but this is all engineering stuff." Duo rose from his seat, picked up a stack of blueprints and started flipping through them. "I mean, I understand some technical stuff, but most of this is beyond me…"

Relena arched one of her brows. "Is that a commentary on my presumed lack of scientific knowledge?"

"No," Duo quickly backtracked. "I mean, you went to college and stuff, right?"

"Funny." Relena returned her attention to the plans in front of her. "I don't need to fully understand all of the mechanics to assess whether or not an idea has merit. For instance," she gestured to the papers, "most of these plans aren't technically viable, because they don't include the proper density a new satellite system would need to actually affect the gravity on Mars. They have to account for the presence of Phobos and Deimos as well, which lend some gravity, but not enough to sustain colonization for the long term. As you know, the differences in gravity between Earth and Mars can lead to some pretty serious health defects, such as bone loss, over time. We have to account for those as well."

"Damn." Duo's face screwed up. "How did you manage to stay healthy when you went?"

"We took only a small crew, and our ship and living pods were lined with water and plants to mimic conditions on earth. We also took medication to reverse the effects of potential bone loss. Also," Relena added, "we kept our stay on the surface relatively short, so most of our time was spent aboard the ship itself, which had controls to account for the gravity loss factor."

Duo scratched the back of his head. "Ah, ok."

"Obviously, these issues become magnified when we're talking about transporting large numbers of people at a time so we can begin colonizing… one of many reasons we're just not there yet. Despite what some people might want right now." Relena sighed as she put down one set of papers and traded it for another. "Here." She handed the packet to Duo.

"Whoa, Talon Van Holt?! No way!" Duo's eyes lit up in excitement as he thumbed through the pages. "This guy's a rockstar! Not to mention a genius."

Relena rolled her eyes at both descriptions. A billionaire real estate tycoon whose developments blanketed the Earth and colonies, Talon Van Holt had also personally donated millions to the Mars project. In a way, Relena and her committee had him to thank for not only helping to fund but raise awareness for the terraformation. And if anyone loved talking to the media, it was Talon.

The problem was that his plans were too lofty and expensive to actually fit the scope of the project, yet he insisted on having his way if he was going to continue contributing financially. Relena was constantly torn between trying to placate him while rebuffing some of his more questionable ideas.

Talon was also a failed astronaut, having gone through Mars training multiple times without being selected for a single mission. Yet he never gave up, announcing repeatedly that one day, he would just pay his own way there.

As imposing a figure as he was, he was a man that ESUN, and therefore Relena, couldn't afford to ignore.

"Relena?" Elise rapped on the office door, peeking her head inside. "Um, Talon Van Holt is here and wants to meet with you."

"Speak of the devil!" Duo grinned. "This is awesome." He jabbed a finger at the papers he held. "I wanna hear more about his robots..."

Relena licked her lips, which had gone dry. "He's here? Now?"

"He just docked his shuttle and says he's headed to one of his properties, but he would like to arrange for a meeting tonight to present his latest designs. He said he needs to do it in person." Elise rolled her eyes.

Relena pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a tension headache coming on. "Tonight, really? He just submitted his plans this morning…"

"I guess he expected you to be impressed." Elise shrugged. Relena and her assistant both knew Talon and his personal brand of bravado all too well to be dazzled by him.

"Oh, I'll save my 'impressed' face for later," Relena moaned. "Somewhere between his holographic simulations and laser light show."

"Hell, yeah! This is gonna be sweet!" Duo pumped a fist in the air.

"Well, it's that, or he said if the committee can't meet tonight, he'd like you to meet him for dinner to discuss his plans 'in more detail.'" Elise pulled a face. Relena blanched.

"No, thank you. Let's proceed with the meeting. I'll ask the team to squeeze it in." Relena slumped back against her chair. "Beg, if I have to."

"All right, I'll let him know." Elise gave one more exaggerated eye roll before closing the office door. Relena shook her head, smiling in spite of the news. She felt renewed confidence that Elise would be a suitable successor for the Foreign Minister position. At the very least, she seemed more than capable of keeping Talon and his ego at bay, something that would be all the more necessary once Relena was on leave. The last thing she wanted was for Talon to try to continue with his plans unchecked while the head of the terraformation committee was out of commission.

Sure enough, the wealthy developer's swagger was on full display when he arrived in the government center auditorium later, flanked by staff clad in bright blue "Talon Industries" polo shirts, carrying in all of his presentation supplies.

"Relena, _darling_!" Talon strode over to her, pelvis-first, with a wolfish grin. It was hard to tell whether he was calling her a term of endearment, or intentionally mispronouncing her last name. He was wearing one of his company's polos under a business suit. His eyes flicked over her, making Relena feel almost naked in her own suit. She crossed her arms over her chest and quickly suppressed the urge to gag. "I know it's probably very inappropriate of me to say, but you're looking quite gorgeous these days."

"Quite inappropriate, but thank you." She gave him a slight nod, refusing to quite meet his eyes. She concentrated instead on the pronounced cleft in his chin.

"Clearly you're one of those women who only get better with age," he added, his grin spreading wider across his tanned face. "Like a fine wine…"

Relena recognized the backhanded compliment as a power play; Talon was at least ten years her senior. She tipped her head at him. "And may I say, you're looking rather well for _your_ age, Talon. Is that all your own hair, still?"

He patted the blond tuft on top of his head and laughed. "Yes, it's all mine, although I realize I don't have an impressive mane like your beau..."

Relena frowned at the comment. "My beau?" Could he be referring to Duo, or Trowa?

Talon waggled one of his brows. "Heero Yuy? Surely it's not some big secret that the two of you are involved, is it? I mean, it's been years; _everyone_ must know by now." He shook a finger at her. "Don't kid a kidder! I was there during astronaut training in Houston, remember? It was so obvious, the way the two of you would sneak off… And then, of course, he got to be on the crew with you, despite there being other, more _qualified_ applicants." Talon clucked his tongue. "The lucky bastard."

Relena's frown only deepened as she worked up a response. "We… Ah... I'm not seeing anyone at the moment."

"Oh. Then I'm sorry to bring it up." Talon grinned slyly. "But if that means you're available…"

"I'm not," Relena snapped, her face coloring. "I mean, I just don't have the time for that sort of thing right now." She waved a hand. "Surely you understand."

"Of course I do. I mean, with all of this going on…" Talon spread his hands. "Anyway, please do feel free to come to HQ and see what we've been working on up close. I really think once you see it, you'll be pleasantly surprised. It could be just the jolt this project needs."

Relena took a step backward, hoping it signaled the end of their conversation. "I'd like that, thank you."

"Contact my assistant Rita to arrange your visit, all right? That way I can be sure I'm there to give you a _personal_ tour."

 _Ugh_. Relena choked back the bile forming in her throat. "Of course."

Talon leaned forward and eagerly clasped her hand, giving it a firm shake. "It was good to connect with you again, Relena. I look forward to working with you more in the very near future." He gave her hand a tight squeeze before releasing it. Relena wasn't sure if she was feeling overly sensitive, or if he'd actually pressed hard enough to hurt her, but the gesture made her wince.

She managed to form a smile through gritted teeth. "Thank you for contributing so much to our cause, Talon. I appreciate your dedication."

"Believe me, it's my pleasure. I want nothing more than to live and die on Mars." Talon tugged at the panels of his blazer. "I can't wait!"

His words, though cheerful, left Relena feeling chilled.

Finally, Talon turned to make his way toward the stage. "Well, here goes nothing. Perhaps I'll see you after the presentation?"

"Oh, we'll see." Relena smiled, adding to herself, _Don't count on it._ She planned to coerce Duo or Trowa into helping her make a swift exit afterward; most likely Trowa, since Duo was so enamored with Talon and would likely want to stick around to meet his new hero.

"Good luck!" She gave Talon a short wave and began to look around for a seat.

"Thanks!" he called as he turned to climb the stairs to the stage. Then he threw a look over his shoulder. "Oh, and do tell Heero I said hello. Assuming you ever see him again." He chuckled.

Relena's skin prickled. "I'm sorry?"

Talon's eyes twinkled. "You know, since you kicked him to the curb? Too bad. He was such a nice guy. Little misunderstood, maybe, but a nice guy."

With that, Talon bounded up the rest of the stairs and set about getting ready for his speech.

Relena frowned as she settled into a seat, pulling out her tablet so she could pretend to take notes. Talon's apparent gloating over Heero's absence had rattled her. But she told herself there was no way the business mogul knew any of the details behind what she still refused to refer to as Heero's "disappearance." It was probably just Talon's weird way of trying to flirt with her.

Heero had never cared for Talon, either, which was painfully apparent when they were all in training together. Often, when Heero and Relena were alone at night, he would share his irritation over the haughty billionaire throwing his weight around NASA. Relena thought back on one such incident and giggled to herself.

"I'll kill him," Heero muttered one night, long after Relena had thought he'd fallen asleep.

"Who?" she murmured sleepily.

"Who do you think?" Heero snatched an extra pillow from the end of the bed and propped it up behind his head, pounding it into place as he tried to get comfortable.

"You know, if you kill him, you'll probably lose your spot in the program…" Relena mumbled into her own pillow.

"No way. Everyone would thank me." Heero flopped over to face her. "I can't stand that guy."

"Is it because he keeps trying to proposition me?" She peered at Heero over her shoulder.

"No, but that doesn't help," he glowered. "He's just an ass."

"Well, he probably doesn't know we're… together." Relena was careful not to classify their on-again, off-again relationship, which was, at the time, "on" again, if Heero's frequent visits to her bedroom were any indication. She was renting a private suite on the NASA campus, while Heero had been assigned to share a dorm room with another recruit. A roommate he barely saw, as it were.

"Even if he did know what we were doing, it wouldn't matter. He'd still hit on you anyway. 'Cause he's an ass." Heero leaned back against the pillows, seemingly satisfied with his assessment.

"Well, he's an ass we might have to get used to. If he's chosen for the crew…"

"He won't be."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because no one at ESUN, not to mention NASA, takes the guy seriously. You of all people know of his reputation among officials. They're just trying to keep him happy and keep the gravy train flowing."

Relena pursed her lips. "That may be, but…"

"Not to mention, he'd be terrible on an actual mission. No one wants someone who could possibly become unhinged in close quarters." Heero folded his arms over his bare chest. "I'm not dealing with that, and I'm not subjecting you to that, either." He dropped his head to one shoulder and gave Relena a sidelong glance. "I'm here to protect you, remember. Especially from lunatics."

Relena smiled and edged closer to him. "Well, then I guess I don't mind having you tag along…"

She knew that would get a rise out of him. Heero snatched her wrists, pinning them over her head and pushing her down against the mattress in one swift motion.

"Tag along?" he growled, but his dark eyes twinkled mischievously. "We'll see about that…"

She opened her mouth to protest but was quickly silenced by his lips. He moved so that he was straddling her hips, using one hand to hold her wrists together while the other trailed up her thigh…

Relena gasped audibly, suddenly remembering where she was. She straightened her skirt and peered awkwardly around the auditorium, her face flush with embarrassment. Talon was chattering away onstage. Relena pressed her hands to her cheeks, hoping the high color would fade before Talon took notice and assumed he was the reason for her dazed expression.

"What'd I miss?" Relena glanced up as Elise took the open seat to her left.

"He's just getting started," she answered, not wanting to admit she had tuned out a good portion of the presentation already. At least she and Elise seemed to be on the same page.

"Dear God, let this end quickly, and painlessly." Elise mockingly crossed herself, which made Relena giggle.

"The good news is, after this we can finish up reviewing the plans and vote on our final recommendations. Then we can all go home for the holidays." Relena smiled warmly at her assistant.

"And thank God for that." Elise folded her hands, as if sending up a prayer of thanks.

Relena wished she shared her assistant's enthusiasm for the holiday, but at the moment, it was hard to forget that she faced spending Christmas and New Year's alone... and pregnant. But now that she was forced to deal with Talon and his eccentricities, she was suddenly looking forward to having a break.

And, foolish as it was, she dared to hope against hope that Heero might even be waiting for her back on Earth.

* * *

 _A/N: What, two new chapters in a row?! Are you seeing things?! No, you are not! Merry Christmas, you rabid 1xR shippers, you (and 3xR shippers, too, because you're out there, and I like you)._


	14. What Ifs

Despite her very best efforts to reroute her thinking, Relena's fantasy of a romantic reunion with Heero refused to fade in the days leading up to Christmas. With the holiday also serving as the anniversary of the end of the war - the birth of a savior coinciding with the salvation of the world - Relena couldn't help but get caught up in the hopeful spirit of the season.

The work week before the holiday flew by, with the terraformation committee holding one last meeting to approve plans for a new Mars satellite. Relena was not looking forward to telling Talon Van Holt that his proposal didn't make the cut, but she would worry about addressing _that_ in the New Year.

Before she knew it, it was time to fly back home. She planned on spending Christmas in the Sanc Kingdom with her adoptive mother, then ringing in the New Year in Brussels. And this year, she was traveling with an entourage. Despite her efforts to give Duo and Trowa some vacation time, both insisted on accompanying her to Earth. Relena didn't want to hear anyone say it - _it's what Heero would have wanted._ So she just thanked them and offered to put them up at her house for the duration of their stay.

She had told her mother she would be bringing some guests, and secretly hoped that would keep Mareen from asking too many questions about her daughter's personal life. Over the years Mareen had made her disapproval over Relena's perpetually-single status loud and clear; dating Carter had provided a brief respite from her mother's near-constant inquiries, but then Mareen had been devastated when Relena told her she'd ended it. She hadn't seen her mother since then. Now Relena wasn't sure _what_ to tell her.

Relena's gaze flicked over to Hilde across the aisle. They were aboard their shuttle to Earth. Both Duo and Dylan were sleeping soundly, and Trowa seemed preoccupied with his tablet. Relena was absentmindedly thumbing through her dog-eared copy of _What to Expect While You're Expecting_ while Hilde was flipping through a book of her own. Glimpsing at the cover, Relena guessed it was some sort of horror novel or thriller. Hilde caught her eye and smiled.

"Learning a lot?"

Relena shrugged. "Trying to. I admit, it's still a little hard to believe this is real. Sometimes I think I must be dreaming." Hilde laughed.

"Oh, don't worry; it will feel real soon enough." She patted her own belly. "And in the meantime, you'll be prepared."

"Right." Relena sighed and snapped the book shut. Her friend picked up on her mood immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just a lot to think about." Relena smiled weakly, holding up her hands. "There are so many decisions to make. Not to mention, so many things I have to buy…"

"Well, you could have a baby shower," Hilde pointed out. "Then you don't have to worry about buying so much. And people love buying baby stuff."

Relena shook her head. "I wouldn't feel right about asking anyone to buy anything. It's not like I can't afford it."

"That's not the point. It's so your friends and family can _shower_ you with gifts. It doesn't matter if you're already independently wealthy; it's the thought that counts." Hilde wagged a finger for emphasis.

"Well, that would also mean I'd have to tell people, and I'm nowhere near ready to broadcast this."

"Sure, not _now_ , but when the time comes… wouldn't a shower be fun?"

Relena sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It all just seems so far away. And I still haven't had a chance to tell Heero. If he's even…"

"What?" Hilde frowned, leaning over the armrest of her seat. "You don't think…" Relena gave a helpless shrug while her friend gasped. "Relena, you can't think that!"

They both looked up suddenly as Duo stirred in his sleep next to Hilde. He yawned, stretched both arms over his head, and curled back up into a ball, resting his head against the shuttle window. Both women let out sighs.

"I don't know," Relena spoke more softly. "I wish I knew… something. Anything." She swung sad eyes over to Hilde, who was biting her lip.

"This sucks," she said finally.

Relena nodded slowly. "I keep refusing to let myself go there, but it's hard…"

"Well," Hilde shifted in her seat. "I would think back to all those times Heero has fooled you before. This isn't the first time he's pulled this disappearing crap, right? It's annoying as hell, but I highly doubt anything really awful has happened to him. I mean, this is _Heero frickin' Yuy_ we're talking about."

"Yeah." Relena laughed, wiping away a stray tear. She wondered what Trowa was thinking, sitting a few rows behind them, but he said nothing. Relena still wasn't convinced he had told her everything he knew, but she was done trying to press him; it would only add to her mounting frustration, and she really did want to try to relax and enjoy the holiday. As much as humanly possible.

"I'm sure you're right." Relena smiled gratefully at Hilde.

"So let's refocus on how you're going to tell Heero." The brunette smiled encouragingly. "I mean, after all this time, that's gotta be kinda fun, right?"

Relena rolled her eyes. "Oh, that should be fun, all right..."

Hilde rested her chin in her hand as she leaned over her armrest. "Have you ever broached the subject before? I know you said he'd clam up if you talked commitment and what not, but what about kids?"

Relena thought back. "Well, I believe several years ago, we had a hypothetical conversation about my getting pregnant…"

"Yeah?" Hilde leaned forward. "And how'd that go?"

Relena laughed weakly. "Well, you know Heero. He was about as warm and fuzzy as ever."

"I bet." Hilde pulled a face. "How'd it come up?"

Relena leaned back in her seat, hugging her knees to her chest. "It was during our trip out to Mars. Right after I found out about Noin…"

* * *

"You're pregnant?"

Noin nodded excitedly, her violet eyes sparkling. Relena sat trying to absorb the news. Which, of course, was wonderful news. Or would be, if they weren't less than a third of the way through their nine-month Mars voyage.

The sisters-in-law were seated in the dining area of the spaceship _Scorpio_ after their fellow crew members had gone to bed for the night.

"When did you find out?"

"This morning," Noin whispered. "I told Zechs, right away, of course, but he's still… processing."

"Right." Relena nodded, giving her sister-in-law's hand a squeeze. "Well, I'm sure he's surprised. And probably worried. But I'm so happy for you." Her eyes misted over. Noin laughed and squeezed her hand back.

"Thank you, Relena. I am, too. And I really think everything will be ok."

Relena just nodded again, more firmly this time, wanting to believe her. "How far along do you think you are?"

Noin tapped her chin. "Hmm… maybe four or five weeks."

"Well, that's good. It's still pretty early." Relena gave her sister-in-law a reassuring smile. "So when we get back to earth…" She paused to calculate. "You'll be what, about seven months pregnant?"

"That's right," Noin grinned. "And hopefully huge by then!" She held her arms out in a big circle in front of her belly.

Somehow Relena doubted it. With her short, black hair and tall, slim figure, the then 29-year-old Noin still resembled a model. Of course, it was far too early in her pregnancy to be showing, but Relena suspected Noin would be one of those lucky women who either barely showed, or simply managed to look glamorous throughout their ordeal. Noin just had that way about her; she even managed to make a spacesuit look sexy. Meanwhile, at 26, Relena felt short and frumpy in hers. She wished she knew the secret to making those monstrous things look good, especially since it would become part of her daily uniform, once they reached the Mars surface.

Relena frowned. "And it's okay to travel that late in your pregnancy?"

"It's probably pushing it a little bit, but I'm pretty sure it's still okay at twenty some-odd weeks." Noin shrugged. "And anyway, if anything goes wrong, we do have a doctor onboard."

Dr. Chandra Arora was one of their crewmates for this mission, but he was an astrophysicist. Relena reluctantly pointed this out to Noin.

"I did some prying, and he also went to med school and did a residency as a general practitioner, so I'm pretty sure he could step in if I needed him to. But I'm not all that worried; I mean, this is the easy part of being pregnant." Noin laughed. "It's not like I'm going to go into labor in space!"

Relena was relieved her sister-in-law felt so confident, and tried to silence the worries prickling in the back of her mind.

"So, what about you?" Noin gave Relena's abdomen a playful poke. "Your little niece or nephew is gonna need some playmates."

Now it was Relena's turn to laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

"Oh, come on…" Her sister-in-law rolled her eyes. "It's not like the idea is so off-base. Especially with the way you and Heero have been carrying on lately…" She gave Relena a devilish grin.

"It's not like _that_ ," Relena sputtered as her face turned pink.

"Yeah, right," Noin countered. "I'm sure any day now, you two will have an announcement of your own. Besides," she grinned, "they say sperm is more potent in space..."

Relena's mouth dropped open. "No way. Don't say that." She wrinkled her nose, realizing they were also talking about her brother. "Ew…"

"Okay, fine, I don't know if that's actually true." Noin's eyes twinkled. "At any rate, if you're going to spend several months holed up on a spaceship, might as well be with someone you love, right?"

"Right..." Relena agreed, nodding. She certainly loved Heero; whether or not he reciprocated her feelings was still up for debate.

"So at the very least, this gives you and Heero plenty of time to bond, right?" Noin smiled conspiratorially.

"Oh, we're bonded, all right." Relena rolled her eyes. "We had plenty of time to 'bond' during training. But now that we're actually on this mission, Heero is all business."

"Really..." Noin scratched her chin in surprise. "I wonder why that is. You think it has anything to do with the fact that Zechs is here?"

"I'm sure that doesn't help." Relena sighed. "Of course, I can't help but overanalyze everything to death and assume it's something I said or did..." She leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "But, then, I do this every time Heero and I start to get close, and he pulls away."

"That's frustrating." Noin smiled sadly. "Hard loving a soldier, huh? Especially the ones that insist on wearing masks." She patted Relena's shoulder. "Why don't you go pay him a visit? Try to thaw the ice a little."

"Oh, I don't know…" Relena's shoulders slumped.

"Go on! What's he gonna do, run away from you?" Noin spread her hands. "Where could he go?"

"Well, he's not exactly making much of an effort to see me." Relena absentmindedly twisted the ends of her hair. "He's been hiding in his room a lot. I only see him when everyone else is up and about, and usually…" She blushed.

"What?" Noin prodded.

"Well, in Houston…" Relena glanced around and lowered her voice. "He stayed in my room, pretty much every night. Then we got here, and... he's back in his shell." She lowered her eyes, too embarrassed to make eye contact with the other woman.

"Hmm. That is odd…" Relena looked up to see Noin was frowning. "Well, you have every right to know what's going on. If I were you, I would go see him and demand an explanation."

"Is that _really_ what you would do?" Relena arched a brow. "If Milliardo were being distant or moody, you'd go and make him tell you why? Or would you just wait around for him to come out of it, and keep loving him no matter what?"

Noin laughed, covering her mouth to muffle the sound. "I used to be a lot more of a pushover, okay? But now that we're married, I don't let him get away with _shit_."

Relena gasped, stifling her own giggle.

"Seriously." Noin schooled her features. "Don't let him jerk you around. I don't care if he's got a screwed-up life story; we all do. And we all know him well enough to know that he's not clinically insane, so there is no excuse for bad behavior. And if you want, I will tell him that myself."

"No, that's all right." Relena smiled gratefully at her sister-in-law. "I'll go talk to him. Thank you."

"Good." Noin rose from the table, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm going to bed, but let me know how it goes."

Relena followed her sister-in-law the short distance from the kitchen to the hallway that contained the sleeping bunks. There were six individual bunks, one for each crew member, each with its own automated sliding door. Tinted glass provided some privacy, but some preferred to hang a sheet behind their doors as well. The living habitat inside their cylinder-shaped ship was, by all means, tiny, making it hard for the crew members to avoid one another.

Heero Yuy just happened to be especially good at avoiding people, when he wanted to.

Relena hesitated outside his door, but his light was on and she could vaguely make out his silhouette on his bed. That meant he could see her standing outside, too. Even still, she gave the door a quick, sharp knock, looking around to see if anyone else had stirred in their bunks. No one else had their lights on.

Heero opened his door without getting up from his bed. "Bed" was putting it kindly - it was more of a cot that was attached to the wall and could be stowed during the day to make the closet-sized sleeping chambers just a tad bit roomier.

Heero was lounging on the bed, wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans, while his feet were bare. He was also sporting reading glasses, something Relena had never seen him wear before, and holding his tablet over his face.

"Hm?" he murmured, glancing up briefly from his reading.

Relena entered the area tentatively. There was barely enough room for her to stand next to his bed, so she perched at the end of it. "Hi," she said softly. "Are you busy?"

Heero set the tablet down on his chest to look at her. "Just keeping myself entertained. Shouldn't you be going to bed?"

"I… couldn't sleep," she lied.

Heero frowned, leaning over to a built-in shelf next to his bed. "Want some melatonin?" He produced a bottle of the sleeping aid.

"No, thank you." Relena waved a hand. "I thought maybe… we could talk instead." She tried to keep her gaze steady so he could tell she meant business; she hated feeling shy and vulnerable around him, to this day.

Heero settled back against his pillows. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Relena looked around the stark white space, which was in dire need of a pop of color, or some sign of personality. She had decorated her own bunk with favorite photos and posters with inspirational mantras. She even had a vision board. And, of course, the teddy bear Heero had given her when they were teens. She wondered if Heero had any mementos he wanted to hold onto. The only thing she noticed he always had was a watch she had given him one Christmas, years ago. Which, she was happy to note, he was also wearing now. Along with his other new accessory, which thankfully provided her with a conversation starter.

"I've never seen you wear glasses," she began, already feeling silly, but wondering how the Perfect Soldier could have anything less than perfect eyesight.

"Yeah…" Heero pushed them down the bridge of his nose. "These are to protect against the effects of zero gravity."

"Oh." Relena tipped her head, studying his face with the black frames. She decided he looked even sexier with them on, somehow. "So, they're not for reading, then?"

"No, they are. But when you spend prolonged periods of time in space, fluid forms in your brain, and that can put pressure on your eyeballs, leading to vision impairment over time." Heero pushed the glasses back up. "These are a precaution, so I don't strain my eyes while reading, which is obviously more of an issue when reading on screens."

Relena grimaced. "Well, it's a good thing I already have reading glasses, then. I don't remember hearing the thing about… the eyeballs during NASA training."

Heero shrugged. "It wasn't something they stressed all that much, just a vague possibility. But I'm not taking any chances."

"Well, what are you reading?" Relena quickly changed the subject, hoping to keep him talking.

Heero held up his tablet. " _Crime and Punishment_."

"Wow, I never took you for a Dostoyevsky fan." Relena smiled. "But, then, I can kind of see it. You and Raskolnikov seem to share the same tastes in decor." It was too easy, comparing him to a character that lived in extreme poverty.

Heero remained expressionless as he sidestepped her little gibe. "I take it you've read it, then."

"Oh, a long time ago… I haven't read anything for fun in a while, though."

His lips twitched. "You call this fun."

"Well, more fun than reports." She shrugged. "Those are all I ever seem to read any more."

"You like reading those, too." Heero shook his head, and Relena detected the hint of a smile. "You might want to reexamine your idea of 'fun.'"

"Ha!" Relena harrumphed. "You're one to talk; _your_ idea of fun is hiding out and catching up on nineteenth century Russian literature." She raised her palms. "You could, you know, come out of your bunk and socialize every now and then. And talking to people won't melt your eyeballs."

Heero's eyes rolled behind his spectacles. "I'll take that under consideration. Anything else?"

"Yes." Relena sat up straighter. "I was wondering why you've been hibernating all this time. I feel like we haven't really… talked since before we launched. And somehow we seemed to see each other more in Houston…"

"We did see a _lot_ more of each other in Houston." Heero smirked. Relena picked a pillow up from the end of the bed and threw it at him.

"And why is that?" She planted her hands at her hips as he caught the pillow. "What's with your recent disappearing act?"

Heero frowned as he added the extra pillow behind his head. "You call me reading in my room 'disappearing'?"

Relena sighed. "It… just feels like you've been avoiding me for some reason, and I want to make sure I didn't say or do anything…"

"Relena," Heero interrupted her curtly. "I'm not avoiding you." She could tell she'd ruffled him by getting into his space, but Relena wasn't about to relent that easily. She knew something else had to be up.

"But you have to admit," she continued, edging slightly forward, "we were a lot closer just a few months ago. It feels like night and day from where we are now."

"It is," Heero deadpanned. "We're in space."

Relena nearly smacked her palm into her head. "Heero, I swear to God, don't gaslight me right now…"

"Gaslight?" he frowned.

"Try to make me sound like the crazy one?" Relena gaped at him. "You don't go from sleeping with someone all the time to just… not sleeping with them any more. At least not without some kind of explanation. No?" She threw up her hands. "Or maybe I am just crazy?"

"You are crazy," Heero quipped. "But that wouldn't keep me from sleeping with you. If anything, that's more of a reason to sleep with you." Another smile crept over his lips.

Relena wished she had something else to throw at him. "Not cute," she snapped.

He arched a brow. "If you wanted to have sex with me so badly, you could have just asked."

Relena covered her face with her hand. "Heero, that is not what I am trying to say _at_ all…"

"I think you're creating problems where none exist." Heero folded his arms across his chest and gave her a leveling stare. "Next time you're upset with me, ask yourself why I would willfully try to hurt you. Not to mention, why would I want to stop sleeping with you when it's something I enjoy doing?"

"Both are excellent questions," Relena said coolly, her eyes issuing a challenge. "I look forward to hearing you actually answer them."

Heero moved closer to Relena on the bed. "I didn't know you were waiting for me to do something." He frowned. "I just assumed you would prefer to be more discreet onboard the ship. Besides, it's not like there's much room to… do anything." He took his gaze from her and motioned around their cupboard-like surroundings. "Never mind that your brother is around, constantly. And I'm the one who has to answer to him if anything happens to you."

Relena's cheeks flushed. "You mean... if I were to get pregnant?"

"Yes." His frown deepened.

"And what would you do if that happened?" She lowered her eyes to where her hands rested on her lap, anxious to hear his answer.

Heero's brows knit together. "I don't know. It would depend on the situation. If it happened now, I would probably encourage you to terminate it."

"But why?" Relena gasped.

Heero shrugged one shoulder. "Because it's unlikely the fetus would survive such harsh conditions."

Relena balled a fist and held it to her chest. "You're referring to our hypothetical unborn child as a 'fetus'?"

"That's what it is, isn't it?" Heero's eyes widened. He slowly took off his glasses and set them aside. "Relena, are you trying to tell me something?"

"What?" She nearly snorted with laughter. "No… I mean, how could I possibly be pregnant? It's been well over a month since we…"

"Has it been that long?" Heero frowned.

"Yes, we've been traveling for a month and a half now, remember?" Relena poked his arm. "We haven't done anything since we've been onboard…"

"Hm." His brows furrowed. "That is a problem..."

"Are you kidding me?" Relena gave an exasperated sigh. "Now it's a problem? You hadn't even noticed."

Heero was still frowning. "How do we know you're not pregnant?"

Relena rolled her eyes. "Really, Heero? If you must know, I just had my period. All right? Happy?"

"Yes." He nodded. Relena thought he looked relieved, although for the most part, his features remained stony. She wondered how his expression might change if she told him she _were_ pregnant. Maybe someday, she would find out. For now, she was annoyed that he wasn't picking up on her feelings. She decided she had had enough of emotionless Heero Yuy for one day.

"Well," she said, rising to her feet. "I'm glad we had this talk. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

As she made for the door, she felt him lay a firm hand on her forearm.

"Where do you think you're going?" his voice rumbled.

"I already told you," she answered, refusing to turn and look at him. She stayed still as he stood, his arms encircling her. Relena sighed as Heero brushed a kiss to her jawline. "If you think you can charm me now, you are mistaken…"

"Just stay," he murmured.

Relena shook her head. "Uh-uh. No way. You can't just turn it off and on whenever you want, Heero Yuy." She crossed her arms and maintained her stance.

"Fine." Heero released her waist and plopped back down on his bed. "I'm not going to try to convince you to do something you don't want to do. But you could stay and talk. If you want."

Relena turned and looked down at him. "Is 'talk' code for sex now?"

Heero's dark eyes glinted up at her. He tipped his head to motion to the place next to him. Relena gaped at him for a moment before rolling her eyes in acquiescence and dropping down beside him. Heero moved to lie down close to the wall, leaving a few inches for Relena to stretch out beside him. The mattress was so thin in width, there was little room for them to do anything besides spooning. Relena turned inward so that her head was against Heero's chest. He slung an arm around her shoulder.

"This is talking, huh?" She peered up at him, and he chuckled. "Well. What do you want to talk about?"

Heero used his free hand to tip up Relena's chin, smiling at her fondly. She gazed back up at him, taken aback by his sudden show of tenderness. No matter how many times she caught that look of his, it always threw her.

"Tell me more of your affinity for nineteenth century Russian novelists." His lips parted in a half-smile.

It was always a struggle, trying not to get lost in those deep blue eyes of his. _How are they so blue?_

"Oh, but we could talk about that all night," Relena giggled. Heero moved his hand from her face to the back of her neck, giving her a light massage.

"I'm not going anywhere." His eyes sparked. Relena's breath caught in her throat as he slowly brushed his lips against hers.

"This isn't talking," Relena whispered. Heero chuckled and broke away.

"Fine." He reached around her for his tablet. "Then read to me. Part four, chapter one." He leaned back against his pillows, folding his arms behind his head and closing his eyes.

"Hmm…" Relena began scrolling through the chapters on Heero's tablet. "The part where Raskolnikov thinks he's dreaming because someone is in his room?"

"No spoilers." Heero peered at her through one eye. Relena laughed.

"Sorry. Just checking." She reached the part where Heero had left off and started to read out loud when the door to the bunk slid open. Relena's head snapped up as her brother entered the small space. "Milliardo…"

In his self-styled uniform, he still looked every bit the lieutenant, but now he was using his military prowess to command their ship. He glared down at the pair in obvious disapproval.

"Relena…" he started, crossing his arms in front of him.

Heero glared up at his former rival. "What do you want, Zechs?"

Zechs matched his steely gaze with one of his own. "I want you to stay away from my sister, but I suppose it's a little late for that." Relena felt Heero huff beside her.

"Milliardo," she started, "we were just…"

"I don't care what you were 'just.'" His scowl reflected his disgust. "Look, as captain, it's not my job to know who's sleeping with who, but it is my job to keep my crew safe. Yuy, look alive." Zechs quickly tossed something that sailed passed Relena's head. Heero caught it with one hand. He opened his palm and revealed a small, foil-wrapped object. Relena's cheeks burned and she gaped up at her brother.

"Milliardo!" she shrieked.

Zechs just lifted a hand and shook his head, sending his long flaxen hair swinging. "I'm not here to comment any further. Just… don't do anything stupid, all right?" With that he swept out of the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Oh my God…" Relena moaned, burying her face in her hands. "How mortifying."

Heero shrugged and set the condom on the shelf beside the bed. "Wonder what his deal is…"

Relena knew it must have to do with Noin's unexpected news, but she wasn't about to tell Heero that. Instead she sighed dramatically before turning her attention back to the tablet in front of her. "Anyway. Where were we?"

* * *

" _Then_ what happened?" Hilde looked at Relena expectantly as she wrapped up her story.

"That's it." Relena shifted in her seat. "There's nothing more to tell, really. It was just a bizarre little conversation…"

"I mean _after_ that." The brunette rolled her eyes impatiently. "You guys just sat around reading all night? Please."

Relena flushed. "Well, I'm not going to rehash every detail…"

"Ha! I knew it." Hilde grinned triumphantly, her blue eyes twinkling. "You guys totally banged after that, didn't you?"

"I hardly see how that's a relevant part of the story." Relena pressed her hands to her belly. "Especially given what we know now. Besides, I don't remember _every_ little thing about that particular night. Honest."

"Sure, you don't," Hilde taunted her in a sing-song voice. "You seem to remember everything _else_ that happened on that ship, though, don't you? So, how often would you say you guys banged on that mission?"

"Hilde…" Relena warned. Thankfully, Duo and Dylan were still sleeping, but Relena didn't want Trowa to overhear everything. She had glanced back at him a few times while she and Hilde were chatting and noticed he had put on headphones, so she'd assumed it was safe to talk. Unless of course they were all for show. She looked at him for a beat too long, and practically jumped in her seat when he lifted his head, meeting her eyes. Embarrassed, she gave him a little wave before turning back around.

Hilde glanced back at Trowa, looking puzzled. "What was _that_ all about?"

Relena shot Hilde a look. "Time for a new topic…"


	15. Tidings of Comfort and Joy

It was dark when the shuttle landed at the Sanc Kingdom spaceport. Relena was half-expecting, and full-on hoping, to see snow falling once they exited the craft. The night was crisp and clear, the moon bright with promise. She couldn't help but smile as, finally, frosty air whipped her face and hair.

Her traveling companions, however, were less than enthusiastic about the cold.

"It's frickin' freezing!" Duo complained, clenching his Preventers jacket tightly. Dylan gave a slight whimper, clinging to Hilde's leg. She responded by bending over and pulling the hood from Dylan's jacket over his head.

"It is much colder than we're used to, huh?" Hilde asked her son, who only responded with another whine. "We'll have to get some winter clothes!"

"Oh, don't worry - my mother already said she's dying to do some shopping," Relena assured Hilde as the women walked from the shuttle toward a waiting car. Trowa was the only one who said nothing about the cold, leaving Relena to wonder if he even noticed.

"Are you impervious to the climate?" She couldn't help but ask him as they all slid into the warm car.

"Hm?" Trowa's arched brow indicated that he hadn't been paying attention to everyone else's running commentary.

"Trowa has no feelings," Duo sighed.

The other man frowned. "How do you mean?"

"I mean you're a freak of nature, man!"

Trowa looked over at Relena helplessly and shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't follow."

Relena couldn't help but laugh. It had been a long flight. She waved off Trowa's concern. "Never mind. I think we're all getting a little punchy. I'm sure we'll all feel much better after a nice, hot meal."

"Now you're talking." Duo grinned.

"I'm hungry," Dylan announced. "How much further?"

"It's not far at all," Relena promised.

"Yeah, this is a pretty small town, er, kingdom," Duo explained to his son.

Relena smiled at his description. She liked that Sanc had a small-town feel; despite the presence of the massive castle she once called home, most of the kingdom was contained within Newport City, which felt more like a village with its picturesque streets lined with homes and businesses, from pubs to inns, that had been there for centuries.

"It's quaint," she agreed.

And this time of year, the whole village was decked out for the holidays. Relena craned her neck eagerly to take in the trees glittering with white fairy lights, and doors bedecked with wreaths, bells and bows. Her traveling companions might have been cranky, but she was excited.

She also felt a mixture of nervous excitement over seeing her mother for the first time in several months.

True to her word, it wasn't long before they reached her home, a stately eight-bedroom stone house that resembled a miniature version of the Peacecraft palace. By all means, it was still a mansion, but a more manageable homestead for a single woman with a rotating cast of friends and family members for guests. Of course, there was more than enough room to raise a family, although Relena had a feeling Heero would be happier in something much smaller. Still, she kept a bedroom for him there; even though when he stayed with her, he just ended up in her room.

Relena was thinking of where she was going to place her various guests as Mareen greeted them at the door.

"Relena!" her mother cried, opening her arms. Relena stepped into them, smiling.

"Hello, Mother." She gave the older woman a squeeze. "It's so good to see you."

Mareen pulled back, smiling. She looked youthful for a woman in her mid-fifties; her hair was still a glossy shade of dark blond, her blue eyes rimmed with champagne-colored eye shadow and dark brown mascara, her lips lined in just the right nude shade to compliment her skin tone. She and Relena shared so many physical traits, it was hard to tell they weren't blood-related. Relena could only hope she would age as gracefully as her adoptive mother.

Everyone else was ushered inside, and Relena was surprised to see a butler she didn't recognize appear, taking all of their coats and bags. She quirked an eyebrow and looked at her mother.

"I hired staff for the holidays," Mareen explained nonchalantly. "I hope you don't mind; I didn't want you to have to worry about anything once you arrived."

Ever since Relena had moved out of the Peacecraft estate, turning the massive castle into a school for underprivileged children, she had grown accustomed to a home life without hired help, but Mareen still employed a chef, driver and butler at the Darlian estate, not to mention an entire cleaning staff. Relena just nodded.

"It's not a problem." She smiled at the new butler as he reached for her coat. "And you are?"

"Bitterman," he mumbled, not quite meeting her eyes. "Andrew Bitterman."

"Well, welcome Mr. Bitterman, and happy holidays." Relena gave him a nod. The younger man flushed.

"Thank you, missus, ah, Miss Peacecraft. Er, Darlian." He looked flushed.

"Just Relena, please," she assured him. She turned back to the others. "Everyone, you remember my mother, Mareen? Mom, these are my friends." Relena motioned to the group. "Duo, Hilde, their son Dylan, and Trowa."

Everyone exchanged greetings, and Mareen shot Relena a knowing smile. "Your friends, or employees?"

Relena's face reddened. "They are my friends first, Mother. They also happen to be Preventers. At least, Duo and Trowa are."

"Yeah, I'm just the wife," Hilde quipped. " _And_ Relena's friend."

"I'm whatever m'lady tells me to be." Duo grinned broadly. "But I've known Relena a _long_ time."

Trowa just stood in silence, probably ignoring all of them. Relena wondered where he liked to go in his mind all the time; clearly it was somewhere interesting.

"Well, it's wonderful you can all be here with Relena during such a special time of year." Mareen smiled, gesturing toward the staircase. "Now let's get you all settled, so you'll have a chance to rest up before dinner."

Relena followed her mother up the stairs, amused at how easily she had taken command of the household. But, then, she had always been the consummate hostess; Relena had many fond memories of her mother's parties over the years. She expected Christmas Eve, just a few days away, would be anything but the low-key evening Mareen had promised. But Relena decided she didn't mind if her mother did end up throwing a party; at the very least, it would keep her preoccupied for the next few days.

As Mareen was giving a tour of the upstairs, Relena realized that none of her friends had stayed in this house before. In the past, they had visited the castle. So Relena chimed in here and there as Mareen pointed out the various rooms. Of course, her mother was staying in the nicest, and largest, guest suite, which Relena had decorated all in white - Mareen's favorite. Relena had the master suite, which opened into Heero's room. Relena realized that his room had probably been a nursery at one time, and very likely would be again, soon. She swept the thought away as they commenced the brief tour.

Mareen showed Duo and Hilde a guest room with a full-sized bed, across the hallway from a room with two twin beds, which Relena kept for guests with kids. Dylan quickly settled down for a nap. There was one other guest room available, but it was where Zechs and Noin usually stayed.

"Has your brother confirmed his visit?" Mareen asked as they walked through the hallway.

"Not yet, but then he and Noin don't usually arrive until Christmas Eve, maybe the day before," Relena explained. "I will see if I can get a hold of them later, though."

"Well…" Mareen stopped in front of Heero's door. "There's this room as well." She looked pointedly at Trowa.

Relena's breath caught. Of course, it was the only other room available on that floor, unless she had Trowa stay downstairs in one of the staff rooms, but she was sure those were already spoken for. She eyed him shyly.

"This room is on the small side, but…"

Mareen had pushed the door open before Relena could finish. She watched as Trowa took in the dark, masculine surroundings, nodding with what she took to be his approval. Relena had had the walls painted a dark teal, and filled the small space with cherry-stained furniture, from the four-poster bed and matching end tables to a large dresser with brass handles. A worn, tan leather chesterfield sofa beckoned from one corner, flanked by bookshelves that reached the ceiling, filled to the brim with leatherbound classics, scientific journals and other research materials. A dark oak desk rested between two large windows, concealed by charcoal-colored curtains that matched the bedspread.

Trowa set his bag down on the floor.

"I hope you'll be comfortable, dear." Mareen beamed at him. "I'm sorry, what is your name again?"

"Trowa," he answered warmly, giving the older woman a faint smile. "Trowa Barton."

"That's a lovely name…" Mareen tapped her chin thoughtfully. "And it sounds familiar. Relena, I believe your father knew a 'Barton' once. From the colonies? Does it ring a bell?"

"I'm not sure, Mother." Relena made for the door. "Why don't you see how dinner is coming along? I'll be right down; I'd just like to change first."

"Oh, all right." Mareen rolled her blue eyes playfully. "I'll let you two settle in." Relena thought she detected a slight innuendo in her mother's tone, but decided to ignore it. Mareen swept out of the room, but not before throwing them another glance over her shoulder.

"Well." Relena turned back to Trowa, trying not to act as awkward as she felt. "I'll see you at dinner, then?"

Trowa didn't answer, continuing to look around the room. He studied the bookshelves, in particular, for what seemed like several minutes. "This is nice," he said finally, turning to look at Relena. Then he turned back to the books, his hands skimming over the spines.

"Feel free to dive right in, if you want."

Trowa glanced back at her. "You don't mind?"

Relena shrugged. "Why would I mind?"

"I mean, these obviously aren't yours." Relena's mouth dropped as Trowa picked up a book and started flipping through it.

"What makes you say that?" She wandered over to his side. He looked up from the open pages and smirked.

"You're telling me you've read 'Ethical Hacking'?"

Relena flushed. "No, but…" Her eyes scanned the shelves for another, any other, title. "I have read this." She snatched a copy of _A History of Colonization_ and held it up for Trowa.

"Well, that's not surprising," he answered evenly. "What about 'The Art of War,' 'War and Peace,' or 'A Brief History of Time,' though?"

"I've perused them, once or twice."

Trowa's face remained impassive. "How about these?" He pointed to _Inside Cyber Warfare_ and _Hacking: The Art of Exploitation._

"I like to be informed on all sorts of topics," Relena started, but she could tell Trowa wasn't buying it.

"This seems like the appropriate room for a… security enthusiast, that's for sure." Trowa gave her a look before turning his attention elsewhere. "I'm assuming this door leads to your room?"

Relena nodded, blushing. "The master bathroom. There's, uh, another bathroom down the hall…"

"Right." Trowa gave her a curt nod. "Don't worry. Barring some emergency, I'll be sure to steer clear of your room."

Her flush only deepened. "I'm not worried."

Trowa nodded again, his gaze once again sweeping over the room, as if searching for a new topic of conversation. "How are you feeling?"

For a moment, Relena almost forgot that he already knew about her pregnancy. "I'm fine," she answered immediately. In truth, she did feel fine, other than being a little tired from their trip.

"You should rest." Trowa held her gaze for a moment before returning to the bookshelf. "I suppose I'll catch up on some reading."

"All right." Relena gave him a weak smile. "Enjoy." She turned and hurried out of the room before more awkwardness could ensue. It was strange knowing that someone other than Heero was going to be sleeping in there, but then Relena was glad, on some level, to know that Trowa seemed to like the space. At the very least, he liked the books.

Relena wondered if Heero would appreciate that, or if he'd be annoyed. But then she'd never really been sure of how he felt about her setting up a room for him, anyway. Initially Relena was worried, when she was having the place decorated, that Heero might find such a gesture to be presumptuous, but he didn't seem to mind. She was sure he liked the books, too.

But, then again, the room's decor was about to change. Relena would have to wait until after her mother had gone back to her home to redecorate, though; and she decided she was at least another month or two away from having to tell her the truth.

As Relena changed out of her travel clothes in her room, she pictured Heero's reaction to seeing "his" room turned into a nursery. Of course, she hoped to tell him first, assuming he gave her a chance before just showing up. Although with Heero, she never knew _when_ he might appear.

His voice returned to her as she slipped on a clean sweater and jeans. _I want to see you when I get back… We have things to discuss._

She shivered, even though her sweater was plenty warm.

"He's coming back," she said softly to her mirror. As she brushed out her hair, she allowed herself to get swept up in a daydream of him proposing to her on bended knee. She could barely picture it, which would only make it all the romantic if it actually were to happen - it would be such a departure for Heero to wear his heart on his sleeve, Relena knew the gesture would take her breath away...

A knock at the door disrupted her reverie.

"Coming," she chimed, hurrying to the door that opened up to the hallway. Her mother stood on the other side.

"I've brought you a cup of tea." Mareen held up a floral teacup and matching saucer. "I'm sure you could use one, after that long trip."

Relena smiled and held the door open all the way. "Thanks, Mom."

"I know, I should let you rest, but supper is almost ready." Mareen moved past Relena and entered the suite. "And besides, I haven't seen you in months! I need to get all caught up before I lose you to entertaining our guests."

Relena laughed politely, trying not to roll her eyes at the same time. She knew her mother meant well. "We'll have plenty of time to catch up this week, I promise." She sank onto her bed, realizing how much she'd missed her plush mattress. The bed in her L1 apartment was nice, too, but this one was better.

"Your tea, darling?" Mareen handed her daughter the cup.

"Oh, yes. Thank you." Relena took a tiny sip before setting the cup and saucer on her nightstand.

"So." Mareen sat down next to Relena and patted her hand. "What's new?"

 _Oh, boy,_ Relena thought. _Or girl…_

"Not much," she answered, plastering on what she hoped was a convincing smile.

"Well, you seem much better than the last time I saw you." Mareen's lips turned down. "Right after you ended things with poor Carter."

 _Poor Carter?_ Relena worked to mask her frown. "Yes, that was… unfortunate. But I'm doing just fine."

"What a shame," Mareen continued as if Relena hadn't spoken. "I really liked him."

"I know…" Relena started.

"He was my last hope," her mother sighed dramatically.

"For what?"

"Grandchildren, of course."

Relena clenched her jaw. _Oh, if only…_ "Are you saying you don't think there's a chance I could have children with someone else?" she asked testily.

"Of course not." Mareen patted her daughter's hand again. "But time is of the essence, sweetheart. Why, your friend Hilde is your age, and she's already been married for, what, a decade? And her son looks to be about the age you were when _I_ was your age..."

Relena pursed her lips. "Mm-hmm…"

"I just don't understand." Mareen's blue eyes implored her. "What was wrong with Carter? You were with him for almost two years, but no ring? Didn't you want to get married?"

"I didn't want to marry him, no."

"But he is the _sort_ of man you should marry," Mareen pressed.

"Mother, I met the only man I could ever marry when I was fifteen years old." Relena's voice rose around a lump in her throat. Her mother clucked her tongue.

"Relena, don't be foolish. Of all the eligible men out there-"

Relena held up a hand, cutting her off. "He's the one, Mom. There _is_ no one else."

Mareen's eyes hardened. "That _boy_ isn't ready to be a husband. All the times he's abandoned you… And where is he now?"

"He's working." Relena glared evenly at her mother, who threw up her hands.

"Of course he is. If he loves you so much, he should be with you. Especially at Christmas."

Relena thought of all the times her father had to jet off to work, leaving them behind, until one day he decided Relena was old enough to travel with him. If he hadn't done that, she would have hardly seen him those last few years of his life. Of course, she knew better than to point this out to Mareen; after her husband died, she had cast a halo over his memory.

"He said…" Relena began, trying to remain dignified. "He said he would try to be home by then."

"Home?" Mareen seethed. "Where's 'home' for him? Does he mean _here_? I sure hope not. This is _your_ home. I'd like to see _him_ try to provide a home for you."

Relena felt her temper rising. "Mother, you don't understand…"

"I understand far more than you think." Mareen wagged a finger. "That boy is taking advantage of you. He has been for years. And you let him!"

"Mom…" Relena let out an exasperated sigh. "Can we please not do this right now?"

"What you need," Mareen continued, "is someone who honors and respects you. What about your friend, Trowa?" Her eyes lit up, newly hopeful. "Is he available?"

"Mom!" Relena gasped in horror. "Trowa?" She clamped her hand over her mouth, hoping he couldn't hear them in the next room.

"Yes, why not? He's tall, handsome. Quiet, but friendly. And he's professional. Seems like a more than suitable companion to me."

Relena shook her head in disbelief. "A year ago, you would have told me never to settle for someone other than a doctor or diplomat…"

"Well, you were a year younger then. Again, _time is of the essence_." Mareen jabbed her pointer finger in the air, emphasizing each word.

"So, even though he and Heero have essentially the same job title, you would approve of Trowa over him?" Relena folded her arms over chest indignantly.

"I would," Mareen nodded enthusiastically, "because I know Heero. I know how you've pined for him since you were a teenage girl, and how he's had you chasing him all over this planet and outer space, and he still won't commit to you. Oh, but how he basks in the attention..." Now Mareen shook her head morosely. "Your father wouldn't like him, either."

"That's not true," Relena blurted, her eyes suddenly welling up. How did her mother manage to reduce her to a teenage girl incapable of controlling her own emotions? Or was it the damn hormones again?

"Oh, honey…" Mareen's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. That young man just makes me angry."

Relena stifled a laugh. "He makes me angry too, sometimes, but I love him anyway. And I know he loves me. He's just…damaged. But one of these days, we're going to be on the same page at the same time. I just know we are." She turned hopeful eyes on Mareen. "And I'm willing to wait for him."

Her mother looked at her sadly. "Is that so? Well, I wouldn't wait too much longer, if I were you. But that is your decision."

Relena nodded resolutely. "Yes, it is. Thank you for understanding, though." She knew her mother didn't understand, not really, but saying so was her way of ending the conversation diplomatically.

"Well," Mareen said as she rose to her feet, "shall we head to dinner? It should be ready by now."

"You go ahead," Relena smiled up at her. "I'll be right down. I just want to see if I can reach Milliardo."

"Oh, good idea. I'll see you downstairs."

Relena waited until her mother had closed her bedroom door before reaching for her phone. She had meant to check it earlier, and was sure she had some missed calls. Sure enough, her call log revealed that her brother had tried to reach her. So had Talon Van Holt. Relena would gleefully delete his messages later, but first she had to get back to her brother.

"Relena!" Noin answered on the first ring.

"Hi!" Relena was happy to hear her sister-in-law's voice. "What, no video chat?"

"It's dark in the car," Noin replied. "We're on our way from Brussels."

"You are?! That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, we'll be there later tonight!"

Relena wanted to laugh and cry, she was so thrilled. She hadn't seen her brother or sister-in-law since last Christmas.

"When did you get in?" Noin was asking.

"Just a little while ago. Your room is ready for you… Mareen has been taking care of things." Relena chuckled softly.

"Ah, that's sweet. Well, I can't wait to see you, and everyone else! No Carter this year, though, huh?"

Relena had almost forgotten how little she had told her family about her ex-boyfriend. But, then, she was still dating him the last time her whole family was under one roof. Even if he was ancient history to her, he wasn't to them.

"Nope, no Carter." She made sure to sound cheerful about it.

"What about Heero?"

"He's working," she answered automatically.

"Ah, okay. Well, screw him." She could tell Noin was smiling. "And I don't mean that literally, okay?"

"Noin…" Relena could hear her brother in the background.

"Come on Zechs, take a joke." She heard Noin sigh. "Anyway, I'd better go before your brother leaves me on the side of the road. But we'll see you soon!"

"I can't wait!" Relena ended the conversation, full of excitement. She was relieved that she would have a full house for the holidays; it would definitely keep her from hyperfocusing on Heero and her - _their_ \- predicament.

That evening, she enjoyed a nice, relatively quiet dinner with her mother and guests. Mareen was beaming with pride over the chef she'd hired, Gerard, who had prepared a roast chicken with thyme and lemon, potatoes and green beans. Relena was ravenous when she sat down to eat, but found that she still had an aversion to poultry, so she stuck to the vegetables. She wondered if her mother would noticed her eschewing the meat and glass of wine that had been poured for her, but Mareen was busy chattering away with everyone else. She even tried, unsuccessfully, to get more than a few words out of Trowa. Relena couldn't but smile at him sympathetically throughout the ordeal. At least he was trying to be a good sport.

After a dessert of chocolate souffle, which Relena happily devoured, Duo and Hilde excused themselves, along with Dylan. Trowa slipped away, too, mumbling that he was going to bed, leaving Relena and Mareen to continue chatting over tea. Relena was trying to keep the conversation topics neutral when she heard commotion at the door.

"They're here!" She practically leaped up from her seat. Mareen followed close behind, as did their new butler. He stepped around the two women awkwardly and pulled open the door.

And there stood Milliardo, looking every bit the ex-lieutenant in a long gray peacoat. With a much rounder Noin standing in front of him.

Relena's smile froze on her face.

"Surprise!" Noin held out her arms, beaming. "I'm pregnant!"

* * *

 _A/N:_ Surprise, guys! Also... Happy New Year! The story has almost caught up on the holiday season... almost! Hahaha... more to come!


	16. Constant Cravings

Relena stood gaping at Noin, not quite believing what she was seeing. But her sister-in-law's baby bump was more than a bump at this point; in fact, Noin was flaunting her very round belly with a purple empire-waist coat.

"Oh, my goodness! How wonderful!" Mareen had moved in front of Relena to give Noin a hug. Relena shook her head, forcing herself to focus.

"Wow," she finally managed, her smile gradually returning. She looked from Noin to Zechs, her eyes welling up. She knew they had been trying for years after losing their first. "I'm so happy for both of you."

"Come in, come in!" Mareen waved the couple inside. "You must be freezing!"

Zechs and Noin entered the foyer, and Andrew moved quickly to take their coats and bags. Relena pulled them both in for hugs.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Starving!" Noin grinned up at her husband, who added, "We could eat."

"We just had dinner, but we have plenty of leftovers." Relena started leading the way toward the kitchen.

"I'll just ask Gerard to warm everything up and set the table," Mareen chimed in behind them.

Noin waved her off. "Please, don't make a big fuss for us. We know our way around the kitchen."

Relena smiled over her shoulder. "Thanks, Mom, I'll take it from here." She led the other two into the kitchen before her mother could protest any further. Noin sat down at the island while Relena started rooting around in the refrigerator.

"There's chicken and vegetables, and dessert…" Relena pulled out several containers and set them on the island while Zechs found plates and silverware. "Want me to heat this up?"

"No need." Noin pried open one of the containers and served herself some chicken. "It's even better cold."

Zechs jerked a thumb at his wife. "Pregnancy cravings," he explained.

"You can eat poultry? Interesting," Relena mused, forgetting herself for a moment. "I can't stomach it myself."

"Oh, since when?" Noin asked between bites.

Relena nearly cursed out loud for her slip. "Oh, I'm just getting over a little cold," she lied.

"Well, don't give it to me!" Noin teased.

"Don't worry, I won't," Relena promised. "It's practically gone." She needed to change the subject, and fast. "So, how far along are you?"

Noin looked fondly at Zechs. "Eighteen weeks."

"Wow…" Relena couldn't help but eye Noin's pronounced bump as she did some quick calculations. Noin was just seven weeks ahead of Relena; their babies would be born less than two months apart.

"We're due in May," Noin added, as if reading Relena's thoughts. "And we wanted to ask you…" She reached over and grasped her hand. "Will you be our baby's godmother?"

Relena clasped her free hand to her chest. "Of course! And I hope you'll be mine… You know, someday."

"We would love that!" Noin flung her arms around Relena's neck. Her sister-in-law hugged back.

"Do you know the sex yet?" she wondered.

"Zechs knows, but I've sworn him to secrecy." Noin rested her hands on her stomach. "I want to be surprised."

"Wow, Milliardo, that's quite a secret to carry." Relena looked over to her brother, who just shrugged. "Can you tell me, at least, so I know what kind of baby stuff to buy?"

"Hmm…" Noin peered at Relena. "I'll think about it. But don't worry about the baby colors; we're doing gender-neutral everything. I can't stand all the stereotypical blue and pink nonsense..."

"Oh, I love all of that." Relena sighed dreamily. She decided then and there that she wanted to know _her_ baby's sex, as soon as possible. She would have to wait until she was at least as far along as Noin, though. "So when did you find out?"

"About the sex, or the pregnancy in general?" Noin was beaming again.

"Both." Relena rested her chin in her hands. "Tell me everything."

* * *

"Relena? How are you doing in there?"

"Fine, Mom! Thanks!" She answered brightly from inside the fitting room. It was the following afternoon, and they were in a mall department store just outside of Sanc. Mareen had said she wanted to finish her Christmas shopping; Hilde was looking for winter clothes, and Duo and Dylan were somewhere in the men's department. Noin was trying on maternity clothes, while Trowa had stationed himself outside of the women's fitting room, making it abundantly clear that he was there to work.

Relena tried the zipper on the black silk and tulle cocktail dress her mother had selected for her, but it wouldn't budge. She yanked it back over her head and inspected the tag; it was her usual size 2. She had grabbed something from the same designer in a 4, but she couldn't get that to zip, either. And she wasn't about to tell her mother that she needed the next size up.

Relena frowned to herself as she changed back into her own clothes. She didn't think she had gained much weight yet, although she did notice a slight paunch in her belly. That could have been bloating from food or her long flight yesterday, though. How could she have gone up two dress sizes, already?

Her stomach rumbled as she pulled her sweater over her head. And how could she be hungry again, already? They had just had lunch in a nearby restaurant, and Relena had finished every bite of her burger. An hour later, she was craving another. This time with bacon. Then she remembered reading in one of her baby books that her food cravings would likely start intensifying around now. And soon, she could actually start "eating for two."

Her stomach growled again. "You're hungry, huh?" she murmured to her unborn child. "I'd better get you a snack..."

"Well, can I see?" Her mother was still waiting outside the door. Relena opened it and stepped out into the fitting room, giving Mareen a shrug.

"It didn't work on me," she said simply.

"Really?" Mareen put her hands on her hips, giving Relena a once-over. "You've put on some weight, haven't you?"

Relena flushed under her mother's scrutiny. "A little. The last few months have been… stressful."

"I see." Mareen tipped her head. "Well, don't worry; I'm doing a wonderful new routine my trainer showed me that's perfect for combating holiday weight gain. I'll show you when we're back at the house."

Relena nodded dutifully. "Sure. Thanks, Mom."

Just then Hilde popped her head out of a nearby room. "Hey, Relena! Can I borrow you for a sec?"

"Sure." Relena hurried away from Mareen, gratefully. Hilde pulled her into the room and shut the door. Relena was about to comment on the blue sequined cocktail dress her friend was wearing when Hilde whirled on her.

"When are you going to tell her?" The brunette whispered, her blue eyes insistent.

"Not yet." Relena also kept her voice low. "It's still early; I'm only eleven weeks..."

"Yeah, but in the meantime, you'll have to endure comments about your weight and what not." Hilde rolled her eyes. "That would drive me _crazy_."

"I know, but…"

"Besides, Noin is pregnant, too! Don't you think they'd all be really happy if you told them?"

"Doubtful," Relena sighed, sinking onto a bench across from the dressing room mirror. "Zechs will want to kill Heero…"

"On the plus side, that might mean you'll find him faster!" Hilde giggled, then stopped when Relena didn't follow suit. "Well, what about your mom? Isn't she dying for a grandchild?"

"Yes, but not Heero's. Cue her asking me, 'Are you _sure_ it's not Carter's?'" Relena's eyes rolled.

"What is _with_ this Carter guy, anyway?" Hilde yanked the blue dress over her head, trading it for a similar one in red. "Your family is, like, obsessed with him."

"My mom is, at least. He was her ideal match for me."

"Yuck." Hilde's nose crinkled. "Why can't I remember him? Did I ever meet him?"

"You did, at last year's New Year's Eve party."

"Oh, that's right…" Hilde turned her back to Relena, motioning for help with the zipper. Relena tugged it upward, envying the way it zipped easily into place. Hilde was probably a 2, if that. "Now I remember… he was following you around at that party. I figured he was just a stalker or one of your many ardent admirers, the way Heero was staring him down. And _you_ …" Hilde's eyes danced in the mirror's reflection. "You kept draping yourself all over Heero because, as usual, you'd had just a little too much champagne..."

Relena groaned at the memory. "Oh, yes… That was the beginning of the end for me and Carter…"

"Well, good riddance." Hilde pivoted to check out her backside in the mirror. "Hey, what do you think of this one?"

"I like it." Relena nodded her approval.

"Well, which do you like better? Red or blue?" Hilde fingered the other dress on its hanger.

"The blue brings out your eyes, of course, but the red is… saucier." Relena grinned. Hilde practically guffawed.

"Saucy, eh? Sold. Okay, now that I have a party dress, I need to go find a parka for this sub-zero climate…"

"Is it _that_ cold?" Relena shrugged. "I guess I'm just used to it. Anyway, we'll find you something."

"But don't think you're off the hook, missy," Hilde scolded as she removed the red dress and reached for her sweater. "You need to tell your family what's going on. Soon. I mean, it's crazy that I know, and even Trowa knows, but _they_ don't. We're not even your family!"

"You're family to me," Relena insisted. Hilde pulled her sweater over her head, emerging with misty eyes.

"Aw, stop it! You're going to make me cry."

"Oh, no!" Relena waved a hand in front of her own face as her eyes teared up. "We can't both get weepy; then everyone will know something's going on..."

"Lie and say you just miss your man?" Hilde suggested, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve.

"That's not a lie." Relena scrubbed at her own eyes, then looked down at her sleeve, dismayed. "Oh, no, I got mascara on my sweater." She looked helplessly up at Hilde, and both women laughed.

"I need coffee," Hilde announced as she gathered up her things. "Fancy a decaf mocha, hot chocolate or something? I saw a cafe on the first floor. Maybe we can sneak away for a few…"

"Yes, please." Relena rubbed her stomach. "The baby's hungry again, anyway."

"Wow…" Hilde glanced down at Relena's abdomen and grinned. "I bet he's going to be big."

" _He_ , huh?" Relena mused. "It's funny, I have a feeling it's a boy. But I guess I'll know soon enough…"

"Should I knit you some blue booties, just in case?" Hilde teased. "If it's a girl I'll just add pink ribbons or something."

Relena's eyes glimmered. "You know, while we're here, we could go look at baby clothes..."

"Ooh, good idea!" Hilde's eyes gleamed, too. "And no one will suspect anything because of Noin!"

"Yes! Thank you, Noin." Relena grinned.

* * *

Relena should have known that Trowa would accompany them to the cafe, but she didn't mind. At least he was one of the few people in the know, so she and Hilde could continue their girl talk. As they stood in line, Relena tried to include him in the conversation.

"Are you ordering anything, Trowa?" She shot him a smile. "It's on me."

He shrugged. "Sure, I'll have some java."

"Well, too bad they only serve _coffee_ here." Relena winked at him playfully, and he chuckled.

"I'll take anything." His green eyes smiled down at her. Relena smiled back until she felt something jab her shoulder. She swiveled her head to meet Hilde's glare.

"What?" Relena asked innocently.

"Are you _flirting_ with him?" Hilde hissed. Relena flushed, certain that Trowa could hear every word.

"Stop," she whispered to Hilde. It was almost their turn to order.

"I'm not judging, just wondering." The brunette held up her hands.

Relena didn't answer as they approached the counter, instead ordering a mocha for Hilde, black coffee for Trowa, and hot chocolate for herself. Then she added a fruit cup for a snack, although she really wanted a pastry. She remembered her doctor's instruction to "keep it healthy." Hilde then interjected that she wanted a danish, which she handed over to Relena after the barista gave it to her.

"That's for the baby." She winked. Relena grinned and thanked her friend before biting into the flaky, buttery goodness.

* * *

The next few days at home whizzed by, and before Relena knew it, it was Christmas Eve. Other than a formal dinner, prepared by Gerard, the evening was more laidback than she had been expecting. Mareen had decided against inviting any more guests to dinner, since they already had a houseful. Relena was grateful for the relative peace and quiet.

But after a light-hearted evening with her friends and family, she found herself going to bed with a heavy heart. It was almost midnight, and therefore almost Christmas, but there were still no signs of Heero.

Relena kept her phone beside her pillow, just in case, but deep down she had already resigned herself to fate. Her holiday hope was finally beginning to dim.

That night, he haunted her dreams. In the first, Relena was giving birth without him because he was trapped somewhere. She awoke in a cold sweat but eventually coaxed herself back to sleep. Then she dreamed that Heero was in what looked like a jail cell, being beaten repeatedly by masked men.

" _No, don't!"_

Relena bolted awake, her chest heaving. She quickly took in her surroundings and realized she was home, safe, in her bedroom. But she gave up on sleep for the rest of the night. Relena kicked off her duvet and padded downstairs in her pajamas, following sounds and smells wafting from the kitchen. She entered to find her brother busy at the stove.

"What are you making?" she sniffed.

"Tater tots." Milliardo held up the empty bag, grimacing. "Noin's hungry. I think I made too much, though. Want some?"

"Sure." Relena's shoulders slumped, and her brother immediately picked up on her mood.

"What's wrong?"

Tears started flowing before she could stop them. "Milliardo…"

He moved away from the stove and pulled her into a hug. After a moment he took a step back, keeping his hands on her shoulders. His gaze flicked from Relena's face to her abdomen, and he frowned.

"Relena... Are you… pregnant?"

She gasped as her face turned several shades of red. "How did you know?"

"Please." Zechs glowered at her. "You look just like Noin did weeks ago. You won't be able to hide it much longer."

Relena crossed her hands protectively over her stomach. "Please don't tell anyone yet." Her brother's frown deepened.

"Does anyone else know?"

"Hilde does; she was with me when I found out," Relena explained softly. "And Trowa, but only because he managed to guess."

"Trowa?" Zechs eyed her curiously. "He's not…" He gestured toward Relena's torso. She gasped again.

"No! Why would you think that?"

Zechs shrugged before reaching for a spatula and turning over the tater tots. "He's hanging around you like Yuy used to. Wait..." His features changed from confusion to rage. "Yuy did this, didn't he?!"

Relena lowered her gaze defensively. "I…"

"Where is he?" Zechs began aggressively flipping the tater tots, which hissed in the pan. "Too cowardly to come face the music?"

"He's working," Relena said for what had to be the hundredth time.

"Bullshit," Zechs seethed. "Where is that son of a bitch hiding?"

"I don't know," she whispered, her eyes misting over again. "I haven't been able to get a hold of him."

"That bastard." He clenched his jaw, cursing and muttering, "I'll rip him a new one..."

"But Milliardo… _no one_ has been able to reach him. Not even Une." Relena's voice trembled. "It's been almost three months, and I'm really starting to worry."

"Yeah?" His eyes darkened. "And Une's the one who assigned him?"

"Yes, I think so."

"I'll see what I can find out." Zechs turned off the gas and used the spatula to slide the tater tots onto a plate. He set the plate on the island before turning back to Relena, pulling her into another hug. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he murmured over her head.

"You and Noin were so happy about your baby; I didn't want to spoil it."

"Nonsense." Zechs pulled away, his voice and features softening. "You're my little sister. I want you to be happy, too. And speaking of happy... Noin is going to be over the moon when you tell her."

And then a voice came from the doorway.

"Tell me what?"

* * *

 _A/N: Things are getting real! Thanks for all the reviews so far, guys! Happy belated New Year! I can still say that, right? More to come, soon!_

 _\- RFP_


	17. Minutes to Midnight

Zechs was right; Relena's baby news sent Noin through the roof.

It was, by far, the happiest reaction to her pregnancy that Relena had witnessed. Hilde had been supportive, but nonchalant; Trowa had mostly been indifferent, if a bit perturbed; while Zechs, of course, had been furious at first.

But Noin was ecstatic.

For several minutes, there was nothing but hugging and happy tears. Noin asked nothing of the father or how the younger, single woman planned to handle this turn of events, which Relena appreciated. For the first time in a while, she felt like an actual grownup, like this was just a normal part of life. Because it was, even if it hadn't unfolded in the most normal way.

Eventually, they broached the subject of Heero. Zechs brought it up, explaining to Noin that the former Gundam pilot had apparently gone AWOL. They all agreed that Relena should approach Une once again, and that it would be easier to get more information in person. Zechs insisted on being there, convinced he would be able to read Une and figure out where Heero was, even if she wouldn't tell them outright.

They would get their chance to approach her at the ESUN New Year's Eve ball, which they were all attending. The day before the event, everyone departed for Brussels. The Preventers had procured hotel rooms for Trowa and Duo, plus his wife and son, while Relena and Mareen were staying with Zechs and Noin at their home.

The night of the party, Relena had a hard time keeping her mother at bay as she tried to get ready. Mareen had an opinion on everything, from Relena's hair and makeup to her dress, even though she had helped her daughter pick it out. Relena had caved and bought the black dress in a size 6, but she knew Mareen would be scrutinizing every angle, never mind every morsel that passed Relena's lips.

"Skip the stuffed olives; they'll make you bloat," Mareen instructed as a waiter carrying hors d'oeuvres passed them in the ballroom of the Palais Royale. Relena wished she could down the glass of champagne she was holding, but despite what Hilde said about drinking while pregnant, she still didn't think it wise.

But she wasn't about to starve herself all night, either. She looked around for Hilde, who was acting as her co-conspirator that evening. She spotted her friend across the room, mumbled a quick excuse to her mother, and darted over to Hilde, who was furnishing a plate. The girls ducked into an unoccupied corner, half-hiding behind a massive curtain.

"Shrimp, sliders, cheese and olives, sushi rolls…" Hilde handed Relena the plate triumphantly. "Easy on the fish, though. Some of these rolls are just cucumber, so you should be okay."

"Bless you," Relena said reverently, determined to cram in as much food as she could before someone spotted them. "If I keep eating like this tonight, I'm going to pop out of my dress."

"Well, your boobs are already halfway there; why not join them? Get some air," Hilde joked. Relena glanced down at her ample cleavage.

"Goodness, I think I've gone up a whole cup size, already." She reached for another olive.

"Wait'll you start nursing." Hilde's eyes widened. "Personally, I think of the weight gain as the fun part. You would not believe how huge I got." She grinned. "And I loved every minute of it. _Ugh,_ you are so lucky."

"Sure, it's fun getting to eat whatever you want," Relena admitted. "But not when your mother is hounding you all the time… And the public scrutiny hasn't even started yet." She grimaced before biting into a slider, then instantly brightened. "But, oh my God, I could eat five of these."

"Five would equal one burger," Hilde said gleefully. "I've had four already, and I'm not even pregnant."

Relena laughed, grateful for her friend's candor. "How would I get through this party without you?"

"Oh, you couldn't. You'd be home sulking for sure, playing old Judy Garland songs and sobbing into your hot cocoa." Hilde pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, fluttered her eyelashes dramatically, then started singing. " _Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind…"_

"Ha, ha," Relena said playfully, rolling her eyes. "In truth, I probably would have come here anyway, out of obligation. But I wouldn't be having nearly as much fun."

"I keep thinking about last year," Hilde said gleefully. "That was a riot. Not to bum you out, but I really wish Heero were here, if only for sheer entertainment value."

"So do I," Relena said wistfully. "Do you think he'd sneak me food?"

"Of course he would. He'd be force-feeding you every few hours. 'Relena, it's important you keep up your strength.'" Hilde did her best impression of Heero, threatening to send Relena into a giggle fit.

"Don't start," she warned, suppressing her laughter. "In all seriousness…" she paused to take a sip of the sparkling water Hilde had thoughtfully brought her. "Do you think Heero will make a good father?"

"What do _you_ think?" Hilde jabbed a finger toward Relena. "That's all that matters."

"I think he will, once he gets over the initial shock, maybe." Relena dropped one shoulder. "And the longer I have to wait to tell him, the more shocking it's going to be..."

"Well, you can't worry about that; it's not _your_ fault he's M-I-A," Hilde pointed out.

"True. I just hope by the time I do tell him, he'll have some time to get used to the idea." Relena sighed. " _I'm_ ready, but Heero…"

"No one is ever ready," Hilde interjected. "Duo and I had been married for over a year when we found out I was pregnant, and we _both_ freaked out. For pretty much the entire nine months."

"Really?" Relena could hardly believe it. Duo and Hilde were both equal parts fun-loving and disciplinarians; as parents, they seemed to be naturals.

"Sure. Why do you think I kept drinking?" Hilde waggled her brows. "Kidding. Mostly. Anyway, it's true. We both had moments of panic, but then we got to meet Dylan for the first time and it was… really freaking cool, holding this little person we made." She beamed, touching Relena's arm. "You'll see." Relena nodded, hoping her friend was right, and that somehow she and Heero would both take to parenting like ducks to water.

Hilde departed after a while in search of Duo and Dylan, who were surely off getting into some father-son mischief, leaving Relena to wander the ballroom, making small talk with her colleagues as she encountered them. She noticed Trowa out of the corner of her eye, maintaining a constant presence. Again, she was reminded of Heero. It irritated her to think of someone taking his place. As much as she liked Trowa, she hoped his position was only temporary. Heero would be back, soon enough, she told herself.

Even if she was beginning to doubt.

As the hours ticked closer to midnight, Relena couldn't help but reflect on how this was ESUN's sixteenth New Year's Eve ball. So much had happened in sixteen years, and yet she and Heero were somehow not much further along than where they started. She headed toward a familiar balcony, her mind transporting her back in time...

* * *

 _December 31, A.C. 196_

 _Brussels, Belgium_

Relena clutched her champagne flute through shaky fingers as she glanced around the ornate ballroom. She couldn't pinpoint why she felt nervous, but something in her stomach fluttered.

She took a sip of her drink, hoping the alcohol would calm her nerves. It didn't, unless it took a while to kick in. At sixteen, Relena didn't have much experience with drinking, although she'd tried wine at some of her parents' parties in the past.

She pressed her free hand against her stomach, hoping to still the invisible butterflies. Perhaps it was normal to feel so apprehensive. After all, it was only a week ago that, once again, the Earth and colonies were on the brink of world war. And of course, the person who prevented that from happening was nowhere to be found. But, then, Relena had come to know that he wasn't too fond of parties.

Still, she was hoping against hope she'd see him, even if it was a long shot. For all she knew, he wasn't even in Brussels any more. She'd left him alone in the hospital on Christmas morning, at his insistence that she go home and rest. She didn't want to leave him, but as the Vice Foreign Minister who'd just been kidnapped and rescued from a would-be pint-sized dictator, she'd had some speeches and media interviews to attend to.

Thus, in a week's time, she'd hardly rested; she and her fellow ESUN representatives had worked overtime to assure the population that a Christmas miracle had taken place and, going into the New Year, everyone really was safe.

And yet, as her eyes continued searching the ballroom of the Palais Royal, Relena realized she could never be entirely sure. Would she spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder?

She froze when she felt a tap on the back. Relena clutched her glass more tightly and turned around slowly.

"Hey, beautiful!" Duo Maxwell, all decked out in a black tuxedo, his signature braid hanging over one shoulder, stood beaming at her.

Relena sighed audibly in relief. "Duo, thank goodness. You scared me."

His grin immediately faded. "Aw, I'm sorry, Princess! Why so jumpy?" Duo stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets, tilting backward on his feet.

"I don't know…" Relena paused to sip her drink as she glanced around their vicinity. "Maybe because I keep getting kidnapped?"

Duo chuckled. "Yeah, that's a terrible habit. You'd better resolve to break it. But hey, that's what New Year's is for, right?"

Relena nodded, appreciating Duo's ability to cheer her up, even just a little. "So, what about the rest of your fellow pilots? Did everyone come? You all deserve to celebrate tonight." She gestured to the gilded decorations around them. With crystal chandeliers and gold gossamer fabric strung with tiny white lights, the place looked like a fairy land. "This is all for you, you know."

"Aw, shucks. That's generous of you to say, but I feel like I hardly had anything to do with it." Duo grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "You know who you oughta thank, though."

"Yes, well, I tried that, but…" Relena took another swig of her drink.

"I heard you stuck him in a hospital that night. He wasn't too happy about that."

Relena gulped. "You talked to him?"

"Yeah, once I heard he'd been admitted I went to see how he was doing. Caught him trying to sneak out the window."

"Really?" Relena gasped, although she was hardly surprised.

"No, not really. But he wanted to. He had disconnected himself from all the IVs they had him hooked up to, though. He kept saying he was fine. So yeah, after a bit they finally let us leave."

"But you... decided to stay on Earth for a while?"

"Yeah, ESUN put us all up at a fancy hotel nearby. I haven't seen much of Heero since then, though. For all I know he's still sleeping this whole thing off. Although, then again, I doubt that…"

Relena tried not to show her obvious disappointment. "Do you think he's gone back to space?" She was hoping he would at least say goodbye to her first. Was he really annoyed that she'd brought him to the hospital? He had seemed grateful at the time, although he'd been exhausted, and his emotions were hard enough to pinpoint when he was wide awake.

He hadn't said anything when Relena had leaned over his hospital bed and brushed a kiss against his forehead. She'd wanted to kiss his lips, but had chickened out at the last second. But she figured she owed him one, after the stunt he'd pulled last summer - grabbing her by the arm and kissing her, urgently, without giving her so much as a second to react. Then, just like that, he swept away, leaving her to board a shuttle. True, they'd been kind of rushed - the colony they were on was about to detonate. But Relena had been left wondering about that kiss ever since. Surely it wasn't because he'd thought they were about to die? Surely there had been some other meaning behind it?

Relena touched her lips unconsciously as Duo prattled on. "... said he was going to pay you a visit."

She immediately tuned back in to the conversation. "Wait, what?"

Duo shrugged. "Eh, you know Heero, though. He goes with the wind."

Relena peered over Duo's shoulder. "So, you don't know if he's coming tonight?"

"No idea. But you never know - Heero's full of surprises." Duo waved at someone behind Relena. "Hey, look who's here! Wanna go say hi?"

Relena turned and saw Sally Po entering the ballroom with Trowa Barton and Quatre Raberba-Winner, and gave them all a little wave. Sally was stunning in a flowy green dress, with her dark blond hair pulled into an elegant updo. And both Trowa and Quatre looked handsome, too, in their tuxes. Duo started making his way over to them.

"You go ahead; I'll catch up with you all later," Relena smiled. "I just… need to get some air."

She quickly turned on her heel and headed toward the nearest balcony, hoping Duo wouldn't find her exit too rude. She peeked back over her shoulder as she made her way outside, but he had already bounded over to his friends. In many ways, Duo reminded her of a golden retriever. His unbridled enthusiasm made her smile.

"Well, you look happy."

Relena gasped at the sound of the familiar, deep baritone.

"Heero! I didn't see you out here." She peered into the darkness, her eyes slowly adjusting, drinking in his appearance in the moonlight. He, like his fellow pilots, was wearing a tux, but the sight of him in formalwear nearly took her breath away. Heero, to her, looked good in everything - including the St. Gabriel school uniform - but Relena liked this look best of all. Like Duo's, his hair was on the long side, for a guy - although not nearly _that_ long - and his floppy style made him look more relaxed in his tux than the clean-shaven dignitaries Relena was constantly surrounded by.

Not to mention, he was much more handsome than anyone she'd ever known. "Handsome" didn't even begin to describe his distinctive, almost otherworldly features; he was nothing short of a marvel. Relena blushed, looking down at her poufy white ball gown, wishing she'd worn something less fussy. She supposed she was still trying to find her own style, and ended up wearing something her mother probably would have chosen for her.

"Sorry if I startled you," Heero's voice rumbled. Relena glanced back up at him shyly and smiled, hoping to dispel the frown crossing his features.

"I'm fine. It's just… been a long week."

"Yeah." He glanced up at the full moon above them, jamming his hands in his pants pockets. "About that… I wanted to talk to you." He looked more earnest than Relena was used to seeing him. "Can we take a walk?"

She found herself nodding eagerly, but tried to sound nonchalant. "Sure."

Heero led the way from the balcony back into the ballroom; Relena followed close behind him as he wove his way through the large room and hoped they wouldn't be stopped by anyone, like Duo, on their way out. Luckily, the room was wall to wall with people in their formalwear, and no one seemed to notice the two of them. Relena breathed a sigh of relief when they finally stepped outside of the palace, her lungs immediately filling up with frosty air.

There was snow on the ground, but she hadn't stopped at the coatroom to retrieve the faux-fur wrap she'd worn over her gown earlier. She crossed her sleeveless arms over her chest as the cold ripped through her. Heero wordlessly shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Thank you." Relena smiled up at him.

He nodded once, then held out his arm. Relena was a little surprised by the slightly formal gesture, but happily linked their arms together. Their outdoor stroll was much more relaxed than their harried escape from the ballroom. Relena couldn't stop smiling as she grasped Heero's arm. She knew she was being a silly schoolgirl, but every touch from him electrified her. Once again, her mind took her back to that sudden kiss last summer. Should she expect a repeat at some point? And next time, would he give her a chance to respond?

As they continued their walk, Relena nearly asked Heero what he'd wanted to talk to her about, but decided to keep quiet and wait for him to speak. He didn't say a word until they had wandered into the palace gardens, without another soul in sight.

Relena was simply enjoying his company, even in silence, and the moonlight reflecting off of the snow laden trees above them when, at last, he spoke.

"I had to retrieve Zero." His voice sounded far away. "What was left of it." Relena followed his gaze up to the moon, almost expecting to see his Gundam descending. The image of Heero aiming his mobile suit's twin buster rifle at Mariemaia's underground base was still fresh in Relena's mind, but she shook it off.

"What happened?" She vaguely recalled seeing the wreckage as they climbed out of the bunker that night, but she had been more worried about getting Heero into an ambulance. She cared much more about his wellbeing than that of his Gundam, but she knew how important it was to him.

Heero shrugged. "It fell apart. Couldn't withstand much after battling the Shenlong Gundam. Firing off that final blast pretty much killed it." His tone was flat and emotionless.

"But you managed to locate all the pieces?"

"Yeah, most of them. Quatre's been helping me the past few days."

Relena nodded sympathetically. "What do you plan to do with them?"

"He's going to have them destroyed, along with the rest of the Gundams."

She gasped. "Really?"

Heero tilted his head down to look at her. "That's the plan. I thought you'd be happy."

"Of course, I'm happy at the prospect of a true abandonment of arms. That's something ESUN has been working towards. But people have to feel safe." Relena frowned. "The Gundams have become a symbol of peace." She touched his arm. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Heero nodded, reaching a hand up to Relena's face, tucking back a strand of hair, which had fallen out of her updo, behind her ear. She blushed.

"I know what I want." His chest rumbled.

It took Relena a moment to find her voice again. "Then... what will you do now?"

His eyes went skyward again. "Finish school, I guess. Get a job."

Relena looked up, too. "Will you go back to the colonies?"

"Not sure." He shrugged.

It felt surreal, discussing his future, like any two teenagers would. Hers was a bit more certain, thanks to her position with ESUN. But she couldn't help but wonder where the two of them might be headed next. Whether or not their paths, which had always been so different, would somehow continue to intersect.

"I hear Une and Sally are attempting to recruit Preventers," he added. "Starting with Wufei."

The Preventers had an office in Brussels, not far from the ESUN headquarters. Relena couldn't help but hope, selfishly, that Heero would consider joining, and perhaps stick around a little longer.

"Are you thinking about it?" She perked up at the thought.

"It depends. They haven't made me an offer yet. And I don't know if I'm ready to work with Wufei after all… this. Maybe if we were assigned to different areas."

"I think working for the Preventers is a wonderful idea," Relena blurted, flushing at her own enthusiasm. "But of course, it's up to you. You have unlimited potential."

Heero seemed to be regarding her curiously. "Yeah?" For once, Relena thought, he looked almost vulnerable.

"You can do anything you want." She gave his arm a squeeze. "I believe in you. I always have."

Somewhere in the middle of the vast gardens, Heero stopped walking, and dropped Relena's arm.

"You say this, after I nearly failed you." He grimaced.

Relena was saddened by the sudden loss of physical contact, and wanted to reach out to him, but held herself back. "What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"I could have killed you," he said flatly.

"Oh. That." Relena smiled and waved a hand. "You didn't, though. Besides, you always threatened to before, and I never once believed you."

"Sure you did." Heero looked up, and Relena thought she detected a glint of humor in his eyes.

"Nope, not ever." She beamed at him. "Even last week, in the base - of course, I was a little frightened - but I trusted you."

"I saw you on the monitor. You looked so calm." Heero's voice had softened. "But I… it was a difficult shot. To avoid a direct hit, I mean." He winced, as if he were back in the cockpit making his calculations before taking aim.

"I know. But if anyone could do it, you could." Relena took a step closer to him. "And now you'll never have to worry about that again."

His expression changed then; he seemed relieved and pained all at once. He reached for her, once again, this time caressing her cheek. And this time, Relena didn't blush.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his dark blue eyes enveloping hers. Of course, it was difficult to see their exact color in the darkness, but they mirrored the starry sky above them. Relena had always thought she could see the whole universe in his eyes.

"Don't be," she whispered. "It's over now."

His downcast eyes did not appear to be convinced. Relena reached up to ruffle his hair. She had only tried that once before, after the incident last week, when he'd collapsed against her. Even if their lives had been at risk, she wouldn't have traded that moment for anything. It was the closest they'd ever been; she had wanted to stop time so she could savor the feeling of him in her arms for just a little longer. She could only hope it was a small preview of what was to come.

"Don't feel guilty for any of it," she added, hoping her words would soothe him. "None of it was your faul-"

Her words hung in the air as Heero's mouth descended on hers.

Relena had to remind herself to breathe as she felt the full force of his kiss. This time, he didn't break away within seconds of stunning her into suspended animation. This time, she was able to open her mouth and allow him to kiss her more deeply.

Slowly. She had time to run her hands through his hair, while he did the same to hers, before his hands trailed down her back and grasped her waist, pulling her tightly against him.

There was no need to rush this time; nothing and no one to run away from. The trees shrouded them in a dark canopy. They had managed to find their own momentary hidden paradise there. Relena forgot that she was standing in snow, wearing heels and a wispy tulle gown. Heero's kiss sent a fire coursing through her. It was a feeling that, so far, she had only come close to experiencing in her most feverish dreams. She had been waiting all year to feel his kiss again, but never could she have imagined a kiss like this.

Finally, he broke away. Relena swayed on her feet as all of her blood seemed to rush to her head. Heero's hands steadied her at the waist.

She gaped up at him, completely thrown and unable to think of a single word to say, just like the last time he kissed her. Even if _this_ kiss had left that one in the dust.

"Heero," she finally gasped, frigid air filling her lungs again. "I-"

"I should let you get back to the party." Heero's tone was impassive, as if he hadn't just given Relena the shock of her life. He released her waist.

"But-" she started to protest, not wanting to go back to reality. Not wanting to let him let go of her. "It's your party, too," she pointed out.

"I'm not really interested." Heero turned back toward the palace. "I did what I came here to do."

Relena just stared after him. "What on Earth…" She gathered up her skirts and traipsed behind him. "What you came here to _do_?"

She had hoped their kiss signaled a new beginning. So why did it feel like an ending? Relena couldn't let Heero just leave. Not like that.

"You're really going, then?"

"I have to get up early," he explained as they made their way out of the garden. "We're having a sunrise burial for Zero."

"Oh…" Relena frowned as she hurried to keep up with Heero's longer stride. "I didn't realize you were planning to destroy it so soon."

"I'd like to get it over with."

"Well, I could come with you, if you want," she offered, hoping she didn't sound too clingy.

Heero shot her a look over his shoulder. "No offense, but I'd rather keep you far away from any explosions, from now on." His expression turned into a smirk. "You have a bad habit of getting too close."

"Ha! Speak for yourself," Relena glowered after him. She was tempted to add, _If you want to keep me from explosions, you'd better never kiss me like that again,_ but she didn't dare. All she wanted in the world was for him to kiss her like that again. And again.

But it was New Year's Eve, and it wasn't even midnight yet. If he left now, who was she going to kiss when the clock struck twelve? She hesitated, but then voiced the question to him.

Heero stopped and turned around, waiting for Relena to catch up to him. When she did, he reached for her hand and drew her closer to him. He used his other hand to grasp her face, and bent his head toward hers.

"Fine," he murmured, before his lips parted hers. "One more to go..."

* * *

It was minutes to midnight on December 31, A.C. 212. Relena couldn't believe she and the rest of the partygoers were about to ring in yet another year, with the world and colonies still in peace.

She had wandered into the palace gardens and found herself standing in the same spot where Heero kissed her all those years ago. But now, she was a million miles from the sixteen-year-old girl she was then.

Her eyes fixated on the full moon. "Where are you, Heero Yuy?" She shivered, wrapping her bare arms around herself in a futile effort to keep warm in the snow. "I know you're out there, somewhere. Can't you just tell me where you are?"

"You don't make it easy for someone to keep an eye on you, do you?" Her head turned at the sound of a low male voice.

* * *

 _A/N: Are you guys getting sick of all these flashbacks yet? Good thing we're almost done! Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

 _\- RFP_


	18. Black Holes and Revelations

Relena didn't trust her ears.

She had been deep in her reverie, and knew it was possible she was hallucinating. She'd been outside all this time and hadn't heard anyone behind her, until now. She turned her head, slowly, and found her faithful bodyguard standing a few feet behind.

"Trowa." She collected herself, clearing her throat. "I should have known you were following me."

"Sorry for disturbing you." He shifted his weight on his feet. Relena thought he looked slightly uncomfortable in his tuxedo, even though it fit him nicely. "You'd probably rather be alone."

"That's all right." Relena waved a hand. "I don't mind the company. This is supposed to be a party, right?" She attempted a little laugh.

"Is that what people are doing?" Trowa tilted his head. "I thought they were just getting drunk and rambling about politics."

"Just another day at HQ." She picked up on his joke. "You're not enjoying yourself?"

"I'm here to work," he reminded her, as if she needed it.

"Well, you don't have to work so hard," Relena challenged, taking a step closer to him. "This place has security in every corner. You can relax a little."

Trowa's stance, and gaze, remained firm. "You know that security guards and Preventers are not the same."

Relena arched a brow. "And you know something I don't, don't you? I'm sure of it." She couldn't resist giving his arm a poke. "Can't you just tell me, already? What should I be looking out for?"

Trowa's steady gaze seemed to waver before he recomposed his features. "That's not your concern."

"Hmm…" Relena clasped her hands behind her back and circled Trowa in the snow. "That's quite the loaded statement, Mr. Barton. What else can I get out of you?"

"Not much." He smiled, offering her his arm. "Why don't we go back inside? Surely your friends will miss you."

"They're your friends, too," she pointed out, taking his arm. Trowa just looked at her evenly.

"If you say so."

"So..." Relena started as they walked, "I'm not supposed to be wandering by myself in the dark, then?"

Trowa seemed to pause, as if weighing his words. "It's not advisable."

She frowned. "You know, even Heero would give me hints…" That was a downright lie, she thought, remembering his "need-to-know-only" policy.

"You think I'd fall for that?" Trowa smiled down at her. "Nice try, though. I admire your persistence."

"You should at least tell me if there's a threat at large," Relena pressed. "The ball has been a target many times, so that wouldn't even be surprising."

"The ball is not a target." His face remained impassive, but Relena thought she detected some annoyance in his tone. She was close to victory, she thought.

"What, is it me, then?" She touched a hand to her chest. "I'm flattered. It's been a while since I've actually been targeted, you know. I was beginning to think all the terrorists had forgotten about me…"

Trowa frowned down at her, not seeming to appreciate her sarcasm. "I'm glad you think it's funny."

"Aha!" Relena grinned triumphantly. "Now you're talking."

He shook his head. "I've said nothing. You're putting words in my mouth."

"Oh, Trowa." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "You make it almost _too_ easy."

He continued to ignore her teasing as they re-entered the Palais Royal together. Relena watched as his green eyes swept over the ballroom. He tightened them when they seemed to land on something. Relena followed his gaze.

Standing diagonally across from them, on the other side of the room, was Talon Van Holt. The forty-something man was holding a champagne flute and laughing animatedly at something his pretty, twenty-something female companion was whispering in his ear.

Relena recoiled in disgust. "Ugh. No." She turned and buried her face in Trowa's jacket. "Does he see me? Tell me he doesn't see me." She untucked her head to glance up at her bodyguard. "Should we dance?"

"Sure." Trowa took his gaze off Talon and offered her a smile, which caught her off-guard. Heero would have at least put up a fight before agreeing to such a request.

But Trowa just took both of Relena's hands and led her to the center of the room, pulling her closer so that she could rest one hand on her shoulder. He moved his free hand to her waist. They took a few steps together before he gave her a spin, bringing them up to the tempo of the lively waltz the string quartet and pianist were playing.

"Why, Trowa, you're quite light on your feet." She couldn't help but grin as they moved together. "I almost forgot you were an acrobat."

He smiled back at her. "Thank you. It's been a while since I've done this, though. I'm afraid I'm out of practice."

"Oh, somehow I doubt that." Relena felt herself smiling more as he twirled her around again. Then he pulled her against him, bending his head to hers.

She couldn't help but gasp at his sudden closeness, as he brought his lips next to her ear.

"Relena..." he murmured. "There is something you should know."

She pulled back, her eyes immediately widening. "Is it Heero?"

Trowa's lips turned down almost instantly. "I can't say."

"Then what _can_ you say?" Relena broke their embrace abruptly, planting her hands at her hips, annoyed that he was obviously trying to tell her something but kept falling back on protocol. It was so… _Heero_ of him. Her eyes tightened into a glare. "Whatever it is, I assure you, I can handle it."

But his face was a mask once more. "We're dancing, remember?" He took her hands and drew her back to him.

"So you're not going to tell me what that was all about?" Relena was quickly growing exasperated. She wasn't sure how much longer her patience could hold out.

"Not now." Trowa jerked his head subtly, toward something behind him. Relena frowned, searching his eyes, which seemed to tell her more than his words could. She tilted her chin to look over his shoulder and saw Une standing in the corner talking to Talon.

"What's going on?" she murmured in his ear. "Maybe we should go over there. I've been meaning to speak with Une, anyway." Of course, she was hoping to avoid Talon, but it was the first she'd seen Une all night, and Relena didn't want to miss her chance to interrogate the Preventers' commander.

"Just wait." Trowa motioned to someone behind her. "Duo! Here, take Relena."

"Take?!" she screeched. What, was she some item to be passed around? Her temper flared. "What are you doing?"

"I'll be right back." Trowa released her and, before she could protest any further, Duo stepped into place, clasping Relena's hand and waist.

"Yo, m'lady." Duo bobbed his head. "Shall we dance?"

Relena eyed him warily. Something was definitely amiss. For one thing, they were at a party, and it was clear that Duo wasn't the slightest bit buzzed.

"Don't be coy with me," Relena snapped, not enjoying the little game he and Trowa seemed to be playing. "Tell me what's going on."

"What do you mean?" Duo's face revealed nothing. _He's playing dumb,_ she thought.

"You know very well what I mean. And it's not fair."

"What isn't fair?" He looked at her quizzically.

Relena pursed her lips tightly, trying to maintain her patience. "If you know where Heero is, you need to tell me. It isn't fair to keep that from me." Her lower lip trembled. "Not after everything I've been through."

Duo's neutral expression faltered, his blue eyes softening. "Aw, Lena. Don't do that."

"Why won't anyone tell me anything?" Her voice broke. It was all getting to be too much.

Duo sighed, leading her by the arm toward the nearest balcony. He looked around furtively before whispering to Relena. "You realize I could lose my job for this?" He threw up his hands before jamming them into his pockets, then started to pace the length of the small balcony.

"You know I would take you and Hilde _and_ Dylan in, in a heartbeat." Relena reached out and grasped both of Duo's arms, halting his frantic steps. "Spill."

"Yeah, only if you don't lose _your_ job for interfering with an active investigation." Duo's hands flew to his mouth. "Shit."

Relena's eyes danced as her heartbeat quickened. "Tell me."

He removed his hands from his mouth, holding them palms-up in the air. "Easy there, princess. I've told you more than enough already."

"Except where Heero is," she pointed out. "Which I have a feeling everyone knows _but_ me, and you're all trying to distract me from whatever is _really_ going on."

"It's… complicated." Duo's eyes dropped to his feet. "And it's important that you don't interfere."

"And why not?" Relena tossed up her hands. "Couldn't I be of some help?"

"No," Duo snapped more sharply than Relena had ever heard him. "Too risky."

"You know I'm not afraid to risk my life, if that's what you're worried about." Although, she realized after she said it that she had to think about more than just her life, now. She maintained her firm stance, anyway, hoping she could still convince Duo. She had come to know, over the years, that lying was not his strong suit. Surely she could get him to crack.

"There's no need for you do that." Duo waved his hands, as if trying to dispel the notion.

"But, why? Can't anyone just tell me what's going on?" Relena shook her head, spilling a few years onto her cheeks. "I don't understand any of this. Isn't there something you could explain? Heero left for his mission, asked you to look after me, and _then_ what?"

She could feel Duo's hesitation as he took in a breath. "He got to where he needed to go, left after he gathered some intel... then told Une he had to go back."

"Back? Back where?"

"That was his last report, as far as I know."

"Back _where_?" Relena tried again.

"Now if I knew _that_ , I could try to fudge my way out of telling you, but I don't. And you're even worse than Hilde when it comes to coaxing stuff out of me," he scolded.

"But you know he's alive?" Relena turned hopeful eyes on Duo, but he seemed to hesitate again.

"I know what my gut tells me, and that is that I believe in that guy," Duo said solemnly, his eyes burning with conviction. "I mean, he's _Heero-fucking-Yuy._ We can't lose hope. Not now."

Relena had a feeling that Duo, like Trowa, was still purposely keeping her in the dark, but she was getting wise to the little game of charades they seemed to insist on playing. She would get her answers from one of them, eventually. Or Une, when Relena would finally have a chance to speak to her. It was well past time, she thought.

She made up a fib about needing the ladies' room and spun away from Duo. She knew he was watching after her, concerned, but she wasn't going to stick around any longer to hear his excuses.

Relena scanned the room for Une, or even Trowa, but couldn't find either one of them. They were probably off scheming, she thought.

And then she ran right into the person she was trying to avoid.

"Talon!" she gasped, stopping just short of plowing into him. He steadied her with clammy hands, which Relena had to practically bend over backwards to shake away.

"Careful, Relena, or you'll get hurt," Talon warned, his eyes glinting. "You're just the woman I was looking to speak to, anyway. I'm devastated you've been avoiding my calls."

Relena gave him her best sympathetic, albeit phony, smile. "Talon, no working during the holidays!" She wagged a finger at him.

"Isn't this work?" Talon spread his hands. "This is pretty much your office holiday party, no?"

"True, but it's supposed to be fun." Relena's gaze hardened slightly. "Anyway, I was going to call you back after New Year's."

"So, tomorrow?" Talon sounded overeager."Will you be back to work, or still on vacation?"

"I usually take off the first few days of the year." She arched a brow, eyeing him skeptically. "Why do you ask?"

A wide grin spread across his face. "Well, I'm sure you're in no hurry to return to work, but I would love to get together, before you leave Brussels, to discuss my plans."

 _The plans the committee rejected?_ Relena decided against asking that out loud, sparing his feelings. "Are these new plans?" she asked instead.

Talon looked around before leaning closer, until they were almost nose to nose. "If you must know, I have tweaked my original proposal," he whispered. "I think you'll be _very_ pleased."

The way he emphasized "very" made her skin crawl. Relena backed up to put some space between them.

"I'm afraid the committee has already voted to approve another proposal." She gave a little shrug. "Of course," she added, thinking of his pledges for the terraformation project, "I'm always interested to hear your input, but the committee chose what we all felt was the most viable plan."

Talon looked livid. He straightened himself to his full height, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Clearly, he did not take this news well.

"I think you're all making a big mistake." His tone darkened, and Relena didn't like the sound of it. She had always known Talon to be eccentric, but she had never felt threatened by him. But now, something in his eyes was putting her on edge. "This is what happens when you take good ideas to committee." He glared at her. "They kill them."

Relena shuddered, but tried not to let it show. Instead she took a moment to gather her thoughts, as she often did in contentious meetings, keeping her gaze trained on her verbal opponent.

"You understand how democracy works, Talon. It's crucial that we operate in transparency. We don't make decisions in a vacuum."

He continued to glare at her. "And?"

"And, it wouldn't be right for us to dismiss the proposal we already approved and take another one under consideration, despite your revisions," she explained. "The only way that could happen would be if the other proposal somehow fell through, and I can't see that happening. Then the committee would have to vote to reopen the discussion. So, as you can see, my hands are tied." She shrugged helplessly. "This is our process."

The expression on Talon's face told Relena that he didn't appreciate her process one bit. "Well, that's too bad. We could have both had what we wanted." His anger seemed to dissipate, replaced by nonchalance.

Relena frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing." Talon stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket and leaned back on his heels. "Just that I think you'll come to regret going with a different proposal. But, hey, you're the boss, right?"

His demeanor had changed almost instantly, catching Relena off-guard. Just like that, Talon was all smiles again.

"I've got to go, but it was good catching up with you." He reached over and gave her shoulder a squeeze, making Relena shudder again. "And if you change your mind and want to meet up tomorrow, even just for coffee, give me a call."

Relena just nodded and gave him a little wave as he left her side, returning to his much younger date. As relieved as she was to have that conversation over with, she couldn't help but feel shaken by the exchange. Something wasn't quite right with Talon, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Heero had aptly called him an ass, but was there more to it than that?

She remembered something else Heero had said about Talon; something about how he could possibly become "unhinged." Relena couldn't help but wonder if he had.

Trying to brush off the bizarre encounter, she finally headed to the ladies' room, realizing she actually needed to go. She'd had only a few sips of water earlier, but the baby was probably starting to press on her bladder. These days, it didn't take much to send her fleeing to the restroom.

And it was there that she finally found Une. Relena couldn't help but smile. So much for her visions of the Preventers commander and Trowa conspiring in some dark corner.

"Relena." The commander seemed surprised to see her, or maybe only fake surprised. Despite what Zechs had said, Relena had always found Une hard to read. "Nice to see you," she continued. "You look well."

"Thank you, so do you." Relena dipped her head politely. "Happy New Year."

Une echoed the sentiment. Having exchanged pleasantries, the two women stood in awkward silence by the sinks. Une had obviously just finished washing and drying her hands, so there was no reason for her to stick around, but Relena was determined to make her stay. Especially since the restroom was otherwise empty. She knew it was, possibly, her one chance to get Une alone.

And so Relena just came out with it, even though she already knew what Une would say.

"Have you heard from Heero?" She tilted her head innocently, as if it weren't a stupid question. She had heard back in school that there were no stupid questions, but she had a feeling the commander thought otherwise.

But Une didn't answer. At least, not directly. Not with a yes or no.

"Have _you_ managed to reach him?"

 _Ah,_ Relena thought. So this conversation was going to be like a tennis match. She had just served and Une was volleying the ball back to her. The trick was to keep the ball from hitting the ground.

Fortunately, Relena had always been good at tennis.

"So you know where he is, then?" Relena volleyed back to Une, who arched an eyebrow.

"Apparently you do," the commander said evenly.

"Well, wasn't it obvious?" Relena held up her hands. "I mean, not at first, but when I thought about it, it made sense." She did her best to read Une's expression, but the woman rivaled Trowa when it came to masking her features.

"I saw you talking with Talon." _Hmm, a subject change?_ Relena hadn't anticipated that. "What did you find out?"

She decided this was one area where she could afford to be honest.

"He wanted to discuss his plans for a new Mars satellite, but I told him the terraformation committee is going forward with a different proposal. He wasn't too happy about it. He wants me to meet him tomorrow to go over his latest revisions."

Une clucked her tongue. "Interesting. I think you should go. Distract him. We can take advantage of this opportunity."

 _To do what?_ Relena wanted to ask, but didn't dare. It was better to go on letting Une assume that Relena knew far more than she actually did.

Instead Relena nodded, hoping she looked convincing. "Absolutely, I think that's a great idea."

"Great." Une gave her a curt nod. "Keep him busy for as long as you can, and then call me." She made for the door. "I'd better go find Quatre, and tell him we're ready to mobilize."

Relena hadn't heard the term "mobilize" bandied about in a while, and it worried her. Of course, she wasn't going to relay her concern to Une, nor express her surprise to find out Quatre was there as well. She hadn't seen him at the ball yet, and it was well after midnight.

Une disappeared from the ladies' room, leaving Relena more confused than she had been when she wandered in there. She finished up and headed out to find both Duo and Trowa in the hallway with their backs to her, their heads bent in conversation.

Relena marched right up to them and tapped both men on their backs. They whirled around to meet her, looking taken aback by _her_ , for a change.

"Uh, hey princess," Duo began nervously. Trowa just blinked at her.

"I think it's time we all get going, don't you?" She smiled sweetly. "It's getting late. Duo, why don't you go find Hilde and Dylan, and we can all leave together?"

"Aren't you staying at your brother's?" Duo frowned.

"I was going to, but I have business at your hotel." Her smile broadened.

Duo scratched the back of his head. "Uh, and what's that?"

She looked from him to Trowa. "The three of us are going to sit down, and you're going to tell me everything you know."

* * *

 _A/N: UGH! I KNOW! Sorry for those of you who are disappointed, but please don't run away! I truly appreciate all of your amazing reviews; they keep me going. This chapter is dedicated to all the strong women out there! Woo! GIRL POWER! More to come... please stay tuned!_

 _\- RFP_


	19. Operation: Sleeping Beauty

Relena woke to the sound of her phone's much too chipper-sounding alarm. She looked at the time and groaned. How could it be 9 a.m., already? Normally she was up far earlier than that, but she, Duo and Trowa had talked late into the night. Or, rather, the wee hours of the morning. And normally, on New Year's Day, she would be sleeping in.

But today would be far from normal.

Relena sat up and stretched, not quite remembering when she had gotten into bed, or even found a bed to sleep in. She realized with a start that it was Trowa's. Then she remembered that he had offered her his hotel room, because it was so late, and it was senseless for her to travel back to her brother's house at such an ungodly hour. Trowa was going to sleep on the nearby sofa. Although now, he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he had stepped out to get coffee or breakfast, or give Relena some privacy. Or perhaps he was next door, still talking with Duo, finalizing their plan.

Now, Relena barely had enough time to zip over to Milliardo's house, shower and change before meeting Talon for brunch. As much as she wanted to stay in bed and catch up on her sleep, she knew this was something she had to do.

They were all counting on her.

 _He_ was counting on her.

After using the bathroom and splashing her face with cold water, in an effort to feel more awake, Relena texted Trowa to let him know she was ready to leave. He would be accompanying her to both her brother's house and to the cafe where she was supposed to meet Talon at 11 a.m., acting, of course, as her bodyguard. She waited several minutes, but her text went unanswered. She dialed Trowa's number but it went straight to voicemail. Relena frowned, wondering what he was doing.

Next she called Duo, who answered on the first ring.

"Yeah." He sounded sleepy.

"I'm ready," she said simply. "Where's Trowa?"

"He already left."

"What?" Relena gripped the phone. "To go where? He was supposed to go with me."

"Aw, yeah? Well, change of plans. I'll be right over." Duo hung up abruptly. Relena just stared at her phone in confusion. When had they changed the plan? She must have slept through that part of the discussion.

Duo was at her door before Relena had time to puzzle over the matter any further. Wordlessly they headed down the hallway, into the elevator and out of the hotel, walking to the lot where Duo had parked his Preventers SUV for the night. Relena blinked at the sunlight. It was brighter than it had been in days, which she decided was fitting for the first day of the new year. It was a new dawn, after all.

And even though the day was already filled with trepidation, Relena was determined to face it in confidence, not fear. No matter what, today was going to be a good day.

Today, they were going to find him.

She brightened as they approached her brother's house. She hoped everyone would be sleeping so she wouldn't have to explain herself. But Mareen was having coffee and reading a newspaper in the sitting room as Relena and Duo tiptoed their way inside.

"Well, there you are," her mother cooed, setting her coffee cup down. "I was beginning to worry." She eyed Relena suspiciously. "I take it you had a good night?"

"It was fine." Relena paused at the staircase, hoping to speed through the chitchat. "How was your evening? Did you enjoy the party?"

"Oh, it was marvelous." Mareen's eyes lifted to the ceiling. "Did you see the funny dance that contingent from the colonies put on? It was a _riot-_ "

"I must have missed that," Relena cut in. "I'm sorry mother, but I have to be somewhere. We'll catch up later."

Mareen frowned. "But today's a holiday. Where could you possibly have to be?" Understanding dawned on her face. "But, then, you _were_ out all night. With your date, perhaps?" She clapped her hands together. "Is it Trowa? I hope it's Trowa."

"Yes, I spent the night with Trowa! All right?" Relena threw up her hands, exasperated. The pathetic thing was, it was true. Sort of. Mareen gasped. Even Duo looked taken aback.

"Dude." He nudged Relena's arm with his elbow. "Didn't know you had it in you." He winked. Relena resisted the urge to punch him. She knew that _he_ knew Trowa had left sometime in the night, but he wasn't about to share that information with Mareen.

Relena raced upstairs before she could answer any more of her mother's invasive questions. She took a quick shower in the guest bathroom, skipping a hair wash, then changed and reapplied her makeup. Finally, she took down her updo from the night before, letting her long waves cascade over her shoulders.

She was ready.

In all her years of working alongside the Preventers, Relena had never imagined she'd manage to coerce her way into one of their missions. Even though part of her was frightened, she also felt a thrill racing through her. Of course, all they really wanted her to do was talk, making her assignment, as it were, purely political in nature.

So, they needed her to filibuster, basically. Well, she could filibuster, all right. She could filibuster all day.

Relena and Duo were back in the car when she got a call from Talon.

"Relena? Hi, I'm so sorry, but I'm going to have to cancel our little date." He sounded rushed.

"What? Why?!" She was immediately annoyed. And it wasn't a _date_ , it was a meeting. But for now, she let the comment slide, focusing on the bigger problem.

"There's a... situation at one of my facilities that I have to go check on, unfortunately." Talon sighed on the other end. "But listen, call my assistant and have her schedule you for sometime early next week, okay? I'm sure we can find a good time to sit down and chat."

Relena wasn't about to let him go that easily.

"Where are you now?"

"On my way to the spaceport."

Relena had put Talon on speaker so Duo could hear. He quickly changed direction.

"Listen, would you mind terribly if I caught a ride with you?" Relena blurted, thinking fast. "My shuttle is being… repaired, and I was really hoping to head back to the colonies today. I have so much work to catch up on." She heard Talon make a noise and knew he was probably hesitating. "It would really help me out," she purred, trying to channel her longtime friend Dorothy, who seemed to possess a special talent for getting what she wanted- especially from men. "And besides, then you could tell me all about your project during the flight."

It was impossible to argue with that logic, she thought.

"All right," Talon said after a beat. "Why not?"

They made their arrangements and Relena hung up, grinning at Duo. "Well, that was a close one."

"Yeah, but now we have to go to space." He frowned.

" _You_ don't have to," Relena said, thinking of Hilde and Dylan, still asleep back at the hotel. "I can take this from here."

"Yes, I do, and no, you won't." He shook his head adamantly as he drove. "That's not part of the deal. Where you go, I go. That's what the man said."

"Which man?" Relena asked, even though she knew.

"Your man," Duo clarified. She smiled, liking how that sounded. "Besides," he added, "I wouldn't leave you alone with that nutjob."

"I thought you liked him?" Relena arched a brow in question. "You were his number one fan, for a minute there."

"Yeah, before I knew about all the crazy stuff he's been up to. No wonder Preventer's been investigating him. And had to take out the big guns."

"You mean Heero?" Relena asked quietly.

"Yeah," Duo sighed. "Normally I wouldn't worry about _him_ at all, but… it has been a while. I mean, I'm sure he's fine." He quickly changed tack as he glanced over at Relena, undoubtedly reading her anxious expression. "Knowing Heero, he's probably just doing his covert Batman thing. He does this kinda shit all the time."

Despite his cheery tone, Duo's words made Relena bristle. "And yet, we haven't heard from him at all…"

"Yeah, well…" Duo's jaw clenched. "That's what we're going to find out about."

Relena sighed and tried to change the subject, at least a little. "So when did you find out about all of this?"

"Let's just say activity has been ramping up over the past couple of weeks." Duo glanced over at Relena briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "And from talking to Trowa, Une had only shared bits and pieces with both of us… all different pieces of the puzzle, it turns out. Then again, seems there was a lot she didn't know, either."

Relena was still fuzzy on many details herself. "What about Quatre?" She still hadn't gotten to catch up with her friend, who happened to be her favorite anonymous donor to the terraformation project. "When did he get involved?"

"You got me." Duo shrugged. "All I know is we could use him, and all the help we can get."

Relena chewed her bottom lip. "And what about Hilde and Dylan?"

"I'll call them, see if they want to take a shuttle back to L2 tonight or tomorrow. Then, hopefully, I'll just see them at home later." He shot Relena another sidelong glance. "Once we wrap up this little shindig, that is."

Relena laid her hand on his arm. "That's a nice way to think of it. As always, your optimism is refreshing."

Duo chuckled. "You call it optimism; I call it confidence."

"That works, too." She smiled over at him.

"Well, I know how we Gundam pilots - er, Preventers - operate. Once we've mobilized, we tend to put out these little fires pretty quickly."

"But only after months of thorough investigations, right?" Relena teased.

"Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, lady. And what was that old saying, about sharpening the axe to chop down trees? You know the one?"

"Hmm…" Relena looked out of the passenger side window, thinking. Then it came to her. "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend four hours sharpening the axe." She made a sweeping motion with her hand. "The great Abraham Lincoln."

"That's the one!" Duo grinned. "So yeah. That's how we get it done."

"Well," Relena said as they approached the entrance to the spaceport, "let's go get it done, then."

"Atta girl! Welcome to the team." Duo gave her a light and playful punch on the arm as he steered the car into a government-only parking spot.

"When do I get my jacket?" Relena waggled a brow.

"Don't you have, like, ten of Heero's by now?"

"No, he's never given me one to keep," she huffed. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Well, we'll have to see about getting you one, then." Duo grinned as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "So what's your codename?"

Relena breathed in the frosty air, realizing it might be a while before she was back on Earth to experience it.

"Snow," came her reply.

"Nice." Duo high-fived her in front of the car. "I like it. Like Snow White, right? I get it."

"Or, you know, just snow." Relena shrugged nonchalantly. "I like snow."

"Gotcha." Duo popped the collar on his own Preventers jacket. "Well, you'll fit right in with the rest of the crew. You, Wind and Fire make a nice little family, dontcha?"

"What about Heero?" Relena couldn't resist adding him to the list. "What's his codename?"

"Too goddamn many to count," Duo sighed.

Relena followed him toward the tarmac, where Talon would be waiting with his private shuttle. Their government clearance allowed them to skip the regular check-in.

"You know who I like as much as Snow White, though?" Duo looked back at Relena, grinning.

"Who?"

"Sleeping Beauty." He guffawed. "A-K-A, Princess Aurora?" His shoulders shook as he continued to laugh.

"Interesting…" Relena eyed him strangely. "You're frightening me, Duo."

"Let's just say you and Heero have similar tastes in codenames." He sputtered into another laugh.

"No…" Relena clutched his arm, her eyes widening. "You're kidding me."

"You've got to admit, they're pretty clever. Who would ever guess those, right?"

She had to will away the laughter that started bubbling up. She didn't want to lose it in front of Talon.

"This is a serious mission, Duo," she reminded him, waving a hand in his direction. "Whatever your nickname is."

"Cinderella." He smirked. "What can I say? I like a theme." He pulled out his phone and started tapping. "Which reminds me… we should check in with the others before we head out." Relena watched as he pulled up an application.

"What's that?" She peered over his shoulder.

"It's this neat little walkie system. I'll install it on your phone later. Really comes in handy." Duo halted his steps and spoke into the phone. "This is Cinderella speaking. Commencing 'Operation: Sleeping Beauty.' Status report? Come in, Belle. Do you copy?"

Relena arched a brow in question. "You weren't kidding about the theme. But who's Belle?"

No one answered and Duo sighed impatiently. "Come on, Belle, don't make me resort to other codenames. I know you're there with Jasmine."

Relena put a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. Then she heard a woman's voice, which she recognized as Sally's.

"This is Water. I don't know who 'Belle' is in this mission, but is Ariel taken?"

"Nope, all yours!" Duo said gleefully.

"Great. This is Ariel reporting. Mulan and I are approaching the castle."

"Mulan?!" came an angry male voice, which Relena quickly identified as Wufei's. "That's offensive!"

"Pipe down, Mulan," Sally sighed. "Anyway, we're in transit."

"Copy that," came Trowa's voice. "So are we." Relena's heartbeat quickened. She wanted to say something to him, but she wasn't sure what. She still didn't understand why he had left her with Duo.

"There you are, Belle!" Duo crowed.

"I'm not answering to that," Trowa replied.

"Come on, man, don't be a spoilsport! Besides, we all agreed on Sleeping Beauty earlier, did we not?"

"Fine," Trowa relented. "For efficiency purposes only."

"Wait…" Relena immediately recognized Quatre's voice. "I'm Jasmine?"

"This is Preventer Wind," Zechs's raspy voice cut through, "reporting from HQ. And if anyone refers to me as a princess, they will come to regret it."

"Roger that, Tinkerbell." Duo gave Relena a wink.

"I warned you," Zechs seethed.

"What? That's not a princess!"

"This is Snow White." Relena took the phone from Duo. "And, um, Cinderella and I are about to leave with the suspect."

"Leave?" came Trowa's voice. "Where are you going?"

"We're going into the belly of the beast," Duo said dramatically.

"Unnecessary," Trowa said curtly. "We will have more than enough players in place."

"What is _she_ doing?" Wufei snarled.

"The more the merrier!" Sally chirped. "Snow White can still enact her plan to distract the suspect, right? So what's the problem?"

"I don't like it," said Zechs. "You should come back to HQ. We can monitor the situation from here."

"I don't think so." Relena kept her gaze on Duo, who nodded his encouragement. "We're going to wake up the Little Prince."

"Prince?" Wufei spat. "Who's that?"

"Come on Mulan, get with the program," said Sally. "Obviously she means Princess Aurora."

"Yeah… I can't bring myself to say that," Relena admitted. This was getting a little _too_ silly.

"Our usual codenames are fine," Zechs added. "Let's cut the nonsense."

"Ping us when you arrive," said Trowa. "We'll be waiting at the rendezvous point."

" _Which is?"_ Relena mouthed to Duo. He shot her a look before answering.

"Roger that, mission. Cinderella, over and out." He hung up the phone and pocketed it in his jacket.

"You _do_ know what's going on, right?" Relena whispered to Duo as they hurried over to Talon's shuttle. She could see the eccentric billionaire-turned-suspect waiting in the distance, and he did not look especially patient.

"Sort of?" Duo picked up his pace. "As long as everyone knows what _they're_ supposed to be doing, all _we_ have to worry about is getting our butts over to Talon Industries. And, of course, keeping Talon busy." He smiled broadly. "So, you know, just be your adorable, inquisitive self. Ask him lots of questions. Keep him talking. That's about it." He spread his hands. "Simple."

"Right," Relena muttered as they approached Talon. She quickly plastered a friendly smile on her face. "Simple."

* * *

 _A/N: Dear readers, this is what might happen if Disney were to ever buy Sunrise and the rights to Gundam. Wouldn't that be hilarious and amazing? Thank you for all of your support so far! We are so close to the finish line and I am ready to do a little victory dance. Cheers!_

 _\- RFP_


	20. Hidden in Plain Sight

Talon had lied, or at least stretched the truth. The plan revisions he'd spoken of turned out to be incremental at best; in fact, Relena hardly noticed a difference between those and his original proposal. From what she could understand, given her limited scientific knowledge, he had fudged some numbers and moved some parts around. She realized he was looking for any excuse to maintain his seat at the table when it came to planning the next Mars mission.

It wasn't enough to capture Relena's attention, or even keep her awake.

She awoke hours later, stunned to find she'd slept through nearly the entire flight. She opened her eyes to see Talon frowning over his tablet. Looking over at Duo, Relena saw he had dozed off, too.

"My goodness." Relena yawned and stretched. "Where are we?" She glanced out the shuttle window but saw only the blackness of space.

"How was your nap?" Talon glanced up from his tablet.

"Oh, sorry." She shot him a bashful grin. "I didn't mean to sleep all this time. I suppose I'm just tired from last night's… festivities."

"That was some party, wasn't it?" He seemed to force a smile. "Did you get a load of those dancers toward the end?" He let out a low whistle before breaking into a wide grin.

"Right…" Relena still had no clue about any dancers. "Anyway. Where are we now?" she asked again.

"We're somewhere between the L3 and L4 colony clusters. I was going to drop you off at the spaceport on L1, but Duo said earlier he thought you would be interested in touring the facilities. But no pressure; I can leave you at the spaceport once we land, and arrange another shuttle for you, if you wish."

"Oh, no, this is fine." Relena waved a hand. "It would be much better to see the inner workings of Talon Industries up close." She smiled sweetly at him. "Besides, I've been meaning to take a tour for a while now."

"Very well." Talon smirked. "But please keep in mind that we're still under construction. So, you know, pardon our dust." He chuckled.

"No need to tidy up for us," Relena insisted. She wondered what Talon could be hiding - besides what she and the Preventers already suspected.

A short while later, their pilot announced that the shuttle was approaching the colony at point 4.20.17. Relena thought that sounded vaguely familiar, although she wasn't sure how. A glance at Duo's face indicated that he knew it, too, although he quickly masked any recognition. He caught Relena's eye and grinned conspiratorially.

"Let's do this thing!" he sang enthusiastically. Relena glanced warily at Talon, hoping he would just assume Duo was being his usual boisterous self.

Sure enough, her bodyguard kept up his cheery disposition throughout their tour of the facilities, bounding around like an eager puppy. After walking through an office section, with three floors of cubicles and conference rooms, Relena asked Talon to show them his warehouse. He turned to her and arched a brow.

"I suppose that could be arranged. But first, I have a silly request. If you could please surrender your mobile devices, we can assure that none of our work is accidentally leaked to the public."

Relena and Duo exchanged looks. "Why would we do something like that?" she asked.

"I'm sure you wouldn't, but please understand that our work here is confidential, and we must take every precaution." He made a praying gesture with his hands. "I know it's a lot to ask, but you shouldn't need to make any calls during our little tour anyway, right? I promise, they'll be returned to you as soon as we're done."

Duo looked at Relena helplessly. "Eh, I guess I don't have a problem with that."

 _I do,_ she wanted to say. She was sure, more than ever, that something wasn't right. But what could she do? For now, she had no choice but to cooperate.

"If you think it's necessary," she said to Talon.

"Great, thanks!" He shot her a grin. "My assistant, Tanya, will be right along to take those off your hands."

"Tanya?" Relena frowned. "I thought her name was Rita?"

"Rita _was_ my assistant." Talon shrugged carelessly. "I fired her. Out with the old, in with the new, right?" Duo laughed, perhaps a little too hard. Relena elbowed him in the ribs.

A young woman strode over to them, and Relena and Duo reluctantly handed over their phones.

"Excellent!" Talon boomed. "Now we're ready to roll." He chuckled, and Duo guffawed again, for no apparent reason. Relena rolled her eyes as she followed both men out of the office area and down a hallway. They came to another door, which Talon opened with an iris scan. Then they headed down another hallway, this one all concrete and unfinished.

The little hairs on the back of Relena's neck were standing up as they followed Talon to a massive hangar.

"Ta-da!" Talon made a sweeping motion with his arms. "This, lady and gentleman, is where the sausage is made."

They walked along a metal platform to a railing. Relena looked down and tried to take everything in. All she saw were rows and rows of what looked like metal pods of some kind. There had to be thousands of them. "What's in there?" She didn't dare to hazard a guess, although she had a feeling.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Talon taunted in a sing-song voice."That, my dear, is classified."

Relena whirled on him. "I can tell you what it looks like." She no longer cared to play his little game, whatever it was. "But as a representative of ESUN, I demand you tell me."

"Whoa, whoa!" Talon put up both hands. "Please don't bring the gestapo down on me! Sheesh!" He looked over at Duo. "Little lady's on a power trip. Am I right?"

Duo quirked a brow, obviously not amused. He folded his arms and looked pointedly at Talon. "I don't know, man, this all looks a little shady. I'd start explaining myself, if I were you."

"Duo…" Talon drew out his name in a sigh. "You're no fun, either. I thought we were pals?"

"That depends." Duo glowered. "I've seen your plans. I know they involved some worker bots to help build the Mars colony. But you oughta know by now how ESUN deals with people secretly manufacturing mobile suits."

Talon laughed darkly. "Who said anything about mobile suits? These, my friends, are my builder bots. Or BBs, for short." He took a small remote out of his pocket and pressed it. The pods all swung open, revealing thousands of human-sized robots. They all reminded Relena of mobile dolls. Sure, they were smaller, but they also resembled suits that people could wear. And, therefore, weaponize.

"I don't know…" Duo spoke first. "They sure look like suits to me."

"Well, you should know." Talon whirled on him. " _Gundam Pilot Zero-Two._ " He spat the words, as if they left a bad taste in his mouth.

Duo's eyes tightened. "Easy there, buddy boy. I don't take kindly to name-calling."

Talon scoffed. "Right. Like you expect me to believe you're not one of the Gundam pilots?"

"Dude, not me. No way." Duo feigned a look of disgust. "I friggin' hate those guys. What a nuisance they were, am I right?" He grinned sheepishly at Relena.

Talon rolled his eyes. "Good thing you found work as a bodyguard, because you make a terrible actor."

Relena summoned her most commanding voice. "Talon, it's time you tell us exactly what's going on."

The man's lips turned up in what Relena could only call a sinister grin. "I already told you." He leered at her. "No spoilers."

Talon lunged at Duo, pushing him over the railing before the former Gundam pilot could react. Then he grabbed Relena's arms as she screamed after her friend. Duo let out a yelp as he hurtled toward the hangar floor.

She was still shrieking incoherent things at Talon when Trowa dropped down from the ceiling, flipping through the air as if he were performing in one of his circus shows. Relena could hardly believe her eyes as Trowa angled his body and sped toward Duo, catching the other man effortlessly before could hit the ground. Somehow, the acrobat managed to land on both feet, mid-air. Relena gawked at him over the railing, realizing Trowa was balancing on a thin wire. She had heard before that he kept a tightrope on him, but had never seen it in action.

"Trowa!" Relena called down to him, struggling against Talon's grip.

"Let her go," Trowa commanded the other man as he and Duo dropped down from the tightrope.

"I have a better idea." Talon tightened his hold on Relena. She winced; he was digging in hard enough to leave bruises. "How about you shut up and surrender?"

Just then a group of armed men swarmed the hangar floor, training their guns on Trowa and Duo. The two Preventers glanced at each other, then put up their arms. Relena exhaled in defeat as her friends were led out of sight.

"Where are you taking them?" she demanded.

"You should worry about yourself," Talon growled. "You're going to do a little something for me."

Relena shuddered, not even wanting to guess what he might have in mind. She gasped in pain as he yanked her by the arm, dragging her out of the hangar, through what felt like an endless hallway until they reached a large door. Talon kept one hand on Relena while he shoved the door open.

They came into a large, mostly empty room, save for a long table with a laptop. Relena gasped when she saw Duo slumped in a corner, with a masked, armed guard standing watch over him.

"What did you have done to him?" she cried. "Is he hurt?"

"Again, I suggest you worry more for yourself." Talon dragged her toward the table, pulled out a chair and pushed her down roughly.

"What do you want from me?" She glared up at Talon, who finally released his hold on her.

"This should be quick and painless for you." He smiled down at her menacingly. "You're going to sign off on my satellite plans for ESUN."

Relena gaped at him. "What?"

"You heard me." Talon folded his arms expectantly.

"How do you expect me to do that?" Relena knit her brows together. "I already told you, the committee already approved different plans."

"Easy. You call a committee meeting and have them throw out those plans, then take mine under consideration." He grinned. "Just like you said you could."

Relena's skin prickled. He had taken what she had told him and twisted it, but she was too petrified to argue with him. Heero had been right about Talon all along; it didn't seem to take much for the tycoon to become unhinged.

"So… you want me to call a meeting and take a vote?" she sighed. "You know it's a holiday, right? It's going to be tough to gather a quorum…"

"Too bad. You have one hour to change their minds." Talon tapped an expensive-looking watch on his wrist. "In the meantime, I have work to do."

Relena's eyes narrowed. "What do you plan to do? And where's Trowa?" _And anyone else you have captured?_

"Your friends are fine! See? Duo's right here." Talon jerked a thumb in Duo's direction. "I figured you'd have more incentive to do your task with my buddy here keeping an eye on you. And if you don't behave, well, he'll make sure to give your pal the special treatment." He looked back at the guard. "Isn't that right, Frankie?"

The guard nodded wordlessly.

"And Trowa?" Relena tried not to sound as desperate as she felt.

"Well, I couldn't keep you all together, now could I? Much more sensible to split you up, for now." Talon tapped the computer screen. "Now get to work. Time is ticking away."

"Is that so?" Relena tipped up her chin in defiance. "And what happens when time runs out?"

She wasn't prepared for the sting of Talon's slap. It sent her stumbling back against her seat, her hand shooting up to cover her face as she registered the full force of his blow. She heard Duo stir in the corner and whipped her head around just in time to see the guard deliver a swift kick to his torso, eliciting an instant moan. She winced, clutching her own abdomen in sympathy.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Talon's upper lip curled in a twisted grin.

Relena wanted to swing back at him, but knew she was no match for his strength. Talon strode out of the room whistling, slamming the door behind him.

"What in the world?" Relena gasped, trying to collect herself. She spun back around to face Duo. "Are you all right?"

He started to sit up against the wall, and somehow his hair looked… askew. As if he were wearing a wig. Relena's face screwed up in confusion as she took in his disheveled appearance. When had he started wearing a wig?

"Duo?"

He raised his head slowly, locking eyes with Relena. She gasped as everything came rushing into focus.

The cobalt eyes staring at her did not belong to Duo.

Her heart pounded as she shot to her feet, nearly sending her chair clattering to the floor.

" _Heero?!"_

* * *

 _A/N: 3, 2, 1... Everybody update! I couldn't help but notice as I logged into this lovely site that all the cool kids are updating all at once! Ha! I love you guys. If you wanna, like, have 1xR Sunday Fundays from now on, that'd be cool. Thank you to all of the awesome readers and reviewers!_

 _Briefly, I want to address one guest's comment asking for me to put all the flashback and dream sequence scenes into italics. I have opted not to do this because I do explain in each scene that it is either a memory, or I at least state the date so you will know that what's happening is in the past. The reason I chose to do this instead of italicizing those scenes was to show how reality has blurred for Relena, because her memories with Heero are so vivid, her conversations could be happening in real time. In fact, maybe she is even wandering around, talking to him when he's not there. Anyway, I hope that makes sense! It is all intentional! Thanks again for sticking with me on this journey! Stay tuned for the grand finale! We are getting ever closer..._


	21. Deadly Reunions

She should have known the move would cost her.

No sooner had _his_ name fled her lips than the guard standing over him brandished his semi-automatic rifle and shouted at her. "Shut up, and sit down!"

Relena had stared down many a gun in her time, but she wasn't about to try anything rash. Not with Heero's life in danger. Not to mention their unborn child.

Which she still needed to tell him about.

For now, she did as she was told, and sank back into her seat, her eyes desperately trying to communicate with Heero from across the room. He held her gaze, and her heart flipped over as she watched the corners of his mouth crease into a smile. He slowly raised a finger to his lips. The gesture filled Relena with an inexplicable sense of calm. Perhaps she should have been panicking, but if he wasn't afraid, she figured she shouldn't be, either.

And then Heero leapt up and sprang his own weapon on the guard Talon had called "Frankie." Relena's eyes widened in shock.

"Drop it," Heero instructed, pressing his gun against the man's temple.

"I'll shoot her!" he bellowed.

"Try me," Heero replied, cocking his weapon. It was clear he meant business. Relena tore her eyes away. This wasn't going to end well for Frankie.

She was wise to turn away when she did. The crackling sound of the gun, and the bullet connecting with the poor man's skull, sickened her. Relena didn't dare turn around.

Seconds later she felt Heero kneeling beside her chair, his arms swiftly encircling her. She turned and raised her arms over his shoulders to complete the embrace, burying her face against his chest.

"Relena, I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I didn't want to have to do that."

"I know." She grasped him tighter. Was he even real? She was starting to doubt her own senses. But it looked, felt and smelled like the real Heero. She inhaled deeply, reveling in that heady, masculine scent that belonged only to him. "It's been so long," she breathed, delirious.

"I'm sorry about that, too." Heero pulled back slightly to meet her eyes before pressing their foreheads together. "Forgive me," he said softly. Relena noted with some humor that it wasn't exactly a request. And, then, Heero's lips were equally demanding, yet gentle, as they sought hers for a kiss. She complied instantly.

After they broke apart, Relena couldn't resist tugging on Heero's long braid, sliding the wig off his head. "Mind telling me what this is all about?"

"Long story." He shoved the wig inside the Preventers jacket he wore, which Relena realized belonged to Duo. "We don't have time."

"Yes, we do," she countered. "Talon won't be back for an hour."

"He's bluffing," Heero said flatly. "He'll be back as soon as he realizes I'm missing."

"And that you killed one of his guards…" Relena clucked her tongue. Surely that had been captured by surveillance. But then why hadn't anyone responded to the commotion?

"The security cameras have been taken out of commission," Heero said, as if reading her thoughts. "Quatre will have seen to that."

"Quatre? Where's he?"

"The control room."

Relena blinked, trying to process Heero's monotone answers. "You're going to have to do better than that," she sighed.

"How about we stop talking, and you let me get you out of here," he said gruffly.

Relena knew she couldn't argue with that. She allowed Heero to pull her to her feet, wincing as they passed poor Frankie's nearly headless body. She kept her gaze trained on the floor as Heero picked up the dead man's assault rifle, holstering his own gun. Keeping one arm on his new weapon, Heero gingerly opened the door and peered around it. The hallway was empty, but Relena was surprised when Heero broke into a run, pulling her along behind him. She couldn't begin to match his pace and hated to think she was slowing him down, so she pushed herself as hard as she could. Her lungs burned with the effort, and she felt a sharp pang in her side. She kept one arm over her abdomen, hoping her stride wouldn't hurt the baby.

Heero stopped abruptly when they came to another door. He thrust it open and pulled her inside. Relena wasn't sure they would be safe in there, but she trusted Heero knew what he was doing. At the very least, he knew his way around the facility.

She waited until he'd locked the door before chancing a look at their new surroundings. It was smaller than the room they'd just been in, and the boxes piled up around them indicated it was used for storage.

A closet. They were hiding in a closet.

But, then, there were worse places to be stuck with Heero Yuy. And after all this time apart, she was grateful to be _anywhere_ with him.

She gazed up at him, her eyes drinking in every handsome feature, from his dark, unruly hair and those mesmerizing eyes, to the amused smile twitching at his lips that threatened to break his otherwise stoic composure. Had it really been twelve weeks since they'd been face to face? He was watching her closely as well, the hungry look in his eyes strongly hinting that he was thinking the exact same thing.

He set his weapon down gingerly before bending his head to hers, drawing her in for another kiss. Relena parted her lips to deepen the contact, savoring the taste of his tongue as it teased hers with slow, deliberate circles. She could have let the kiss go on forever, but it was a foolish thought to entertain when, for all she knew, they were still in grave danger. He seemed to come to same conclusion, releasing her. But Relena kept her hands on either side of his face, holding his gaze.

"Explain," she said simply. He shook his head, even as she touched him.

"I told you, there's no time."

"Give me the abridged version, then."

"I'll try."

"Please."

Relena dropped her hands, and Heero turned his eyes upward, seemingly collecting his thoughts.

"Seventeen years ago, this colony passed its scheduled condemnation date," he began.

Relena gaped at him. "Heero, you don't have to start every story with the entire history of things, you know."

He glared at her impatiently. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

 _He sounds like a father already,_ she thought gleefully. She waved him on to continue.

"Back then, we used it as a rendezvous point."

"We?" Relena interjected.

"The five Gundam pilots," he answered curtly, crossing his arms. "I was getting to that."

"Fine, I'll be quiet." Relena mimed zipping her lips.

"Anyway, it was here that Quatre first approached me about destroying the Zero System, and the Gundams along with it. Everyone agreed to it at the time, except Wufei. And then it turned out we needed the Gundams one last time."

"The Mariemaia Incident," Relena supplied, forgetting her promise not to interrupt. Her hand flew to her mouth, but Heero didn't seem annoyed.

"Exactly." He nodded. "But after that, we forgot about this place. It was in shambles, anyway. Talon Van Holt purchased the colony ten years later to turn it into his warehouse and build a spacecraft. The fact is, the entire colony _is_ the craft."

"What?" Relena hadn't noticed anything that unusual about the place. From the outside, it looked like any other cylindrical colony, although it was smaller than the others in the L4 cluster.

"That's right. He had the spaceship constructed around the colony, so this entire base is… mobile."

Relena shook her head. "I don't understand. What's he doing this for?"

"You saw his satellite plans, right? Those were decoys. The ship is the satellite. He wants to launch this and colonize Mars."

"And that's what the mobile dolls are for, right?"

"To build the new colonies, yes. Problem is, he also wants to weaponize the bots as the planet's police force."

"But that's ridiculous," Relena sputtered. "What's the point of policing the planet if there aren't any people on it yet?"

"There are people on this colony." Heero shrugged. "Apparently that's how he plans to keep them in line. But don't bother trying to extract logic from the thoughts of a crazy person."

"But where do you come in?" Relena frowned. "I mean, you came here to investigate this for the Preventers, right?"

"At first." Heero seemed to hesitate. Relena's eyes prodded him to continue. "Une asked me to check the place out, and I knew the colony right away. I was concerned because Quatre had set up a version of the Zero System here, but this place was such a death trap, I don't think any of us counted on it still being here all these years later." He paused and drew in a breath. Relena watched him carefully, this time not daring to interrupt.

"So I had my concerns. I came here and met with Talon. He gave me a generic tour, but I knew something was up. Never trusted the guy." He gave Relena a look, seemingly referencing the conversations they'd had about Talon during their time at NASA. She nodded at him to go on.

"So after he gave me the run around, I decided to come back, undercover. I forged a resume, made a disguise and applied to work here. Naturally I got the job, and soon managed to hack the company database. I started pulling data and storing it in an encrypted cloud server I'd set up. It took Talon a while, but eventually he caught on, busted my disguise and confiscated my things."

"Like your phone?" Relena tipped her head at him.

"I ditched that before I came here; it was a liability I didn't need."

She nodded in understanding. At least she wouldn't have to worry about him ever reading several weeks' worth of her frantic, angry text messages.

"So what happened after you got caught?"

"He forced me to work for him, employing my knowledge of the Zero System." Heero scowled deeply. "I was confined to an office all day and a cell at night. I continued infiltrating his database, but any time he caught me tampering with the system, he'd retaliate."

Relena sucked in a breath. "What did he do to you?"

Heero looked away from her briefly. "Just the usual torture tactics."

"Heero!" She covered her mouth in horror, thinking of the nightmare she'd had about Heero just a few nights ago that involved him being beaten in a cell. Had her intuition been guiding her?

"I'm fine." He moved in closer, taking her hands in his. "My manhood is still intact. In case you were worried." He gave her a wry smile. Relena just sighed.

"Is everything _else_ intact?" She was worried about how wounded he might actually be. Knowing Heero, he was good at hiding his injuries and pressing on as if nothing were wrong. "How badly are you hurt?"

He smiled and brushed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll live. What about you? That was a pretty hard hit you took earlier." He stroked the cheek where Talon had struck her.

She shrugged, giving him a wry smile of her own. "I've had worse."

Heero's eyes tightened. "I admit, that pushed me over the edge. If he hadn't done that I might not have killed a guy. But if he touches you again, his buddy back there won't be the last."

The dark look on his face made Relena shiver; she knew that expression all too well. Heero could be downright deadly, when he had to be. She was glad, not for the first time, that he was on her side.

"So what's your plan?"

A smile tugged at his lips. Relena suspected he was proud of whatever it was.

"My plan," he started, lowering his voice, "is exactly the same plan I devised when I first got here. Long before everyone else showed up."

Relena rolled her eyes. "Well, excuse us for coming here to rescue you."

"I told Une before not to interfere," he said flatly. "Apparently some people were overly concerned about the status of my mission when clearly I was handling it."

"Clearly." Relena tossed his word back at him, newly annoyed. She planted her hands at her hips. "You mean before or _after_ you got captured?"

"Regardless," he grumbled, "I am proceeding with my original plan."

"Which is?"

"Destroy this base."

Relena threw up her hands. "That's it?"

Heero frowned at her. "What?"

" _That's_ your master plan? Why couldn't you have just called in the Preventers for reinforcements, weeks ago? Hell, they could have brought you a whole slew of explosives."

Now Heero rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple, Relena."

"Why not?" He was beginning to exasperate her.

"This isn't the kind of battle you win in a firefight." He shook his head firmly. "Too many casualties."

Never mind the casualty from earlier, Relena couldn't help wanting to add. "But Heero…"

He looked at her intensely. "This is cyberwarfare."

Relena thought of all those books in Heero's room at her home in Sanc, which had also captured Trowa's attention. She surmised there had been more to her bodyguard's voracious reading over the Christmas holiday than mere curiosity.

"So everyone else is in on this, now?"

Heero nodded. "Quatre and Trowa got here hours ago, tried to break me out. Told me Wufei and Sally were waiting in the shuttle. They didn't bother to bring any explosives, by the way." Relena could tell he was teasing her, which she didn't appreciate.

"And why didn't you just go with them?" She sighed.

"A couple reasons. For one, I hadn't implemented my plan. Not doing so would have nullified all the months I spent here. Two, they told me _you_ were coming." Heero's face seemed to soften, his eyes revealing a myriad of emotions she knew he would struggle to put to words. She lifted a hand to caress him.

"Did I wreck your plan?"

"No." He caught her hand in his. "Like I said, even if I hadn't known you were coming, I would've stayed here to finish the job. Unfortunately, your being here complicates things. Because now I'm going to have to get you out of here."

Relena frowned. "But how did Duo, Trowa and the others escape?"

"That's another story. And the reason I wore a disguise."

Her mind whirred to try to piece it all together. "You took Duo's place?"

Heero nodded. "Quatre and I were watching everything unfold from the control room while Trowa… well, you know Trowa. He was up in the rafters somewhere. We knew Talon would do something to Duo and use him as leverage to get you to cooperate."

Relena swallowed around a lump forming in her throat. "What did he do with Trowa?"

"Nothing. Wufei was one of the guards. Quatre created a diversion so that Duo and I could switch places. Wufei pretended to drag Trowa off, while, uh, Frankie took me."

"So everyone else is safe now?" She looked up at Heero hopefully.

"They should be."

"But I still don't understand…" Her eyes searched his. "You could have left with the others; I could have talked my way out of this. There was no need for you to stay behind. You could have conducted your cyberwarfare from the safety of the shuttle, right?"

"I already told you." Heero ran his thumb along the curve of her jaw. "I'm not leaving without you."

Relena's heart leapt into her throat. "But you've been stuck here for months, and you had the chance to escape-"

Heero's lips captured hers before she could finish the thought. She pulled back, dizzy.

"You have a bad habit of interrupting me when I'm speaking, you know." Her tone was stern, but she was sure her eyes resembled puddles.

"Sorry." He smirked, clearly not one bit sorry. "I'll have to work on that."

Relena shook her head, trying to ward off the dizziness that had come over her. Heero placed his hands on her waist to steady her. She wondered, briefly, if he'd noticed the subtle changes to her figure, if he noticed things like that. He didn't seem to, but then she hadn't learned how to read his thoughts. Yet.

"How long are we going to hide in the closet?" She wondered out loud. She wanted to get out of there, more than anything, and get Heero alone. _Really_ alone. There was no way she was going to tell him about his impending fatherhood while they were hiding from certain doom among the cleaning supplies.

He tightened his hold on her. "Not much longer. We'll be able to move once the countdown begins."

Relena stiffened. "What countdown?" She was sure it had nothing to do with New Year's.

"The one Talon is going to initiate to launch."

"He's going to launch… this ship?"

Heero nodded.

"How do you know?"

"I've spent the past three months getting to know the inner workings of a psychopath, Relena. It didn't take that long to learn his plan."

Relena felt like she would lose her mind, too, trying to add it all up. "But what about his needing ESUN to sign off on his proposal?"

"I already told you, that was a ruse," Heero explained. "He was always going to do what he wanted, anyway. He wanted the chance to show off some of his crazier ideas, knowing no one would actually approve them. His public persona is just one huge distraction."

She raised hopeful eyes back up to Heero. "Can you stop it?"

He reached out to ruffle her hair. "If Quatre has finished uploading the malicious code I wrote into the Zero System, that will disable the launch sequence, and cripple the mobile dolls."

Relena sighed, her shoulders heaving. "Well, that's good, right?"

"Right." Heero frowned. "But…"

Relena frowned right back "But what?"

"There's another phase to his plan."

Before Relena could ask what it was, Heero startled her by cursing. Something was hissing outside the door. The small room quickly filled up with smoke.

Heero's eyes went wide as he shouted, "Get down!"

* * *

 _A/N: "My boyfriend's back, so you're gonna be in trouble..." At last! I hope you 1xR shippers are happy... sorry for having another cliffhanger, though, but we are almost at the very end! Happy Sunday Funday!_


	22. The Final Countdown

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its wonderful characters. I do, however, own Talon Van Holt and a smattering of other original characters throughout this story. Mwuahaha._

 _I also don't own the song "Final Countdown," but I still like to sing it. Loudly. I hope you do, too. Onward!_

* * *

 ** _Chapter 22: The Final_ _Countdown_**

Relena dove as far back into the closet as she could, Heero throwing himself over her, as the explosion ripped a hole in the wall, sending boxes tumbling all around them. She could feel the length of Heero's body against hers as he shielded her from the blast and subsequent debris. Mercifully, the falling boxes were light, mostly empty. Relena sent up a thankful prayer that neither of them seemed to be seriously injured.

She wanted to lie still and play dead to hide from whoever might have detonated the explosion, but her lungs betrayed her. She couldn't help but cough from the smoke. Heero coughed a few times as well before pressing his lips to her ear.

"Are you all right?" he whispered urgently.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. She wanted to keep hugging him tightly. She had endured enough close calls for one day.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" came a sing-song voice that Relena would surely hear again in her nightmares.

Her body shuddered involuntarily as someone began digging through the boxes and bits of debris to get to her and Heero. There was nothing else sheltering them.

Heero, once again, seemed to read her thoughts. "I'll protect you," he vowed fervently. She touched his face one last time before they were parted, as someone jerked Heero to his feet.

Relena was next, and she braced herself for the contact as two hands grabbed her roughly. She did her best to safeguard her slightly swollen belly as she was hoisted out of the wreckage. She knew, as she looked into the dark eyes behind the mask of her aggressor, that she would fight to the death to protect herself and her child.

 _And_ Heero.

She was pushed out into the hallway, where another masked guard stood, poking his rifle into Heero's back. The second guard was smaller than the man holding onto Relena, but still muscular. Relena's guard was also armed, but he didn't immediately train his gun on her. Relena guessed that they saw Heero as more of a threat.

Talon stood nearby, leering at Heero. The maniacal look on his face filled Relena with fresh terror.

"Well, well, well." He paced circles around them. "Looks like you two lovebirds got your little reunion. Isn't that nice?" He stopped in front of Heero so that they were almost nose to nose. "But that was naughty of you to disable the security cameras."

Heero's face betrayed nothing. He didn't even blink.

"Not to mention what you did to poor Phil," Talon added, shaking his head crossly. "I liked that guy."

"You mean Frankie?" Heero smirked.

"Ah, yes. That's right. Frankie." Talon wagged a finger at Heero. "Anyway, that was really uncool. And you know no bad deed goes unpunished around here." A grin slithered across his tanned face. "I'll have to take an eye for an eye, as they say. It's only fair."

Talon turned his attention to Relena, moving uncomfortably close. She tried to spin her face away as he cupped her chin.

"What do you think, Relena?" He dragged his finger along her jawline. "How would your man look with one eye? Would you still look him in the face when you make love?"

 _Touch him and I'll kill you myself,_ she wanted to say, but she was afraid that would only encourage Talon. Instead she turned desperate eyes to Heero. To his credit, he only looked annoyed. Bored, even. His indifference helped her draw the strength and courage she needed.

She tipped her head at Heero. "You put up with this guy for three months? I don't know how you did it."

Heero caught her eye and smiled. "It wasn't easy. Had to keep going to my happy place."

"And where's that?" She couldn't help but ask, enjoying their banter in the face of Talon's threats.

Heero's gaze held hers captive. "With you," he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Relena sucked in a breath. "Heero…"

"Ugh, blah!" Talon sputtered, releasing Relena and clutching his stomach dramatically. "You two are incorrigible!"

Relena arched a brow, still looking at her love. "He's melting?" Heero chuckled.

"If you love each other _so much_ ," Talon drew out the words, sarcasm dripping, "how come you're not married?"

Heero shrugged. "Never got around to it." Relena resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, until he threw her another heart-stopping look. "But I suspect we will."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that," Talon snapped. "Unless you want to get married on Mars?"

Heero remained nonplussed. "Makes no difference to me." He swung his eyes back to Relena. "Got a problem with that?"

Relena kept her attention on Talon. "What are you talking about?"

He grinned. "We're ready to launch, baby."

"He's kidding, right?" Relena whispered to Heero as the guards pushed them down the hallway, following Talon as he strode back toward the hangar.

"He's not kidding," Heero answered. "But he is an idiot."

"What do we do?"

"Follow my lead."

Relena nodded resolutely, knowing she had no other choice. Heero knew Talon, and his plans, better than anyone. And, of course, Heero had a plan of his own. All she could do was hope that he could pull it off.

But, then, this _was_ Heero Yuy.

They were back in the hangar, surrounded by countless mobile dolls, when Talon seemed to call out to no one. "Can I get the countdown on the clock, please?" A projection of a five-minute timer appeared on the empty wall behind him, and the seconds started ticking down rapidly. "That's more like it."

Relena couldn't help but shoot a worried glance at Heero. "Can this thing actually fly?"

"Sort of." He shrugged. Now his utter indifference was bothering her. "But it won't go far."

"Well, _that's_ reassuring," she muttered.

"True, I wasn't _planning_ on launching today," Talon interjected, spreading his hands. "But then I figured, why not? You guys are here, you've been to Mars before; that gives me a built-in crew. It's perfect! Besides, it's the first day of the new year. That's got to mean something, right?"

"Yeah," Heero quipped. "It means it's January."

Talon's face tightened into a glare. "Why, thank you for the in-depth analysis. Am I glad I elicited your genius to help build this thing, or what? Truth is, you're no longer of any particular use to me." He grinned wickedly at Heero. "I might as well dispose of you now."

Heero shrugged one shoulder. "Go ahead."

Despite his bravado, Relena felt fear prickling in her chest.

"You would carelessly throw your life away, after all this?" Talon gestured to Relena. "Didn't you just say you want to marry your sweetheart? That's powerful information to give your nemesis, you know." His grin turned even nastier.

"Oh, well," Heero said tonelessly. "Guess I'll just see her in heaven." Relena's heart leapt to her throat. Even if Heero was bluffing, the notion still frightened her. Then he turned his face toward hers, and the look in his eyes said everything.

"I love you, Relena."

The words she had been waiting sixteen years to hear tumbled out naturally, as if he had said them to her a thousand times. Relena willed herself to keep from laughing, or crying, or both as she stared back at him wordlessly.

"Fine, but you asked for it!" Talon lifted a hand to summon his guards. Relena cried out as both men raised their rifles and fixed them on Heero.

But then the smaller guard slammed the end of his gun into the other guard's head, knocking the bigger man to the ground, completing the assault with a kick to the groin. The guard on the floor groaned, clutching his head with one hand, his crotch with the other.

Relena was holding her breath as the scene unfolded. She noted that Heero didn't look the least bit alarmed as he picked up the injured guard's weapon and turned it on Talon. The other guard removed his mask, revealing jet black hair pulled back in a short, tight ponytail.

"Wufei?!" Relena gasped.

The Preventer glared over at her. "Remind me what _you're_ doing here, again?"

Relena glared right back, her hands finding their place at her hips. "You know very well…"

Heero gave him a nod. "Thanks for sticking around."

"Yeah, well, what else did you expect a group of Preventers to do? Sit around on the shuttle, twiddling our thumbs? Please." Wufei smirked back at Heero.

"Where are the others now?" Relena piped up.

As if on cue, several of the mobile dolls emerged from their pods, flying up and forming a tight circle around Talon.

"Wh-what the hell?" he stammered.

The robots hovered over him briefly before lowering to the floor and stopping in place, effectively forming a wall around their creator.

"This isn't funny!" he screeched, shakingly pointing to the timer on the wall. "Three minutes to launch! You'll all be sorry!"

"Unlikely," said Heero, exchanging smirks with Wufei. "Nice work, Quatre."

Relena looked around, wondering where Quatre was. She got her answer when he emerged from a dark corner, carrying an oversized white helmet.

"Thanks," the blond man said to Heero, before turning and giving a little bow toward to Relena. "Good to see you again," he smiled.

"You, too, Quatre." She smiled back, relief washing over her. She should have known she could count on the rest of the Preventers; most of them _were_ former Gundam pilots, after all.

Quatre held the helmet out to Heero. "Well, I'm all set with this. It's even more complicated than I remember."

Heero put up a hand. "Keep it. Or rather, get rid of it. It doesn't work for me, either."

"But you built it." Quatre frowned. "Surely you can control the dolls better than I can? It's been so long since I dabbled in the Zero System. Honestly, I had the feeling the whole time that if I stayed in there too long, my emotions would get the better of me." The blond man looked troubled by this.

Heero shook his head. "I have the same problem, only worse." He jerked a thumb toward Talon. "If it had been me, I would've ripped him to shreds."

Quatre and Relena both winced, while Talon spat on the floor. "I'd like to see you try, asshole."

Clearly Heero was in no joking mood. "I changed my mind," he said tonelessly, grabbing the helmet from Quatre. "Give me that thing." He lifted it over his head as Talon chuckled nervously.

"You're not serious, are you?" Relena could see beads of sweat forming on the billionaire's forehead.

Heero cursed under his breath before tossing the helmet back to Quatre, who caught it deftly. "My emotions are out of control these days," he muttered. He shot Relena a look filled with longing. She shivered involuntarily, working to keep her focus.

"Heero, what about the launch?"

"Oh, yeah. That." He strode over to her and took her into his arms. "All taken care of," he murmured reassuringly. "We can go."

"I uploaded the virus to disable the launch sequence." Quatre beamed. "This ship isn't going anywhere."

"Except into oblivion," Heero added darkly. Relena arched a brow.

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her fondly as he caressed her face. "I rigged the base with explosives."

Relena clucked her tongue in mock scolding. "I thought you said this was cyberwarfare, Heero?"

He chuckled. "I always have backup."

"We've evacuated nearly everyone off of the base," Quatre announced, before turning to the injured guard on the floor. "You should probably get out of here," he said kindly. "You still have two minutes." The other man whimpered but scrambled to his feet, then all but sprinted toward the hallway.

Wufei shook his head, giving Talon a look mixed with hatred and pity. "Let's get this has-been to the authorities."

"Your shuttle is ready and waiting!" An alto female voice announced. Sally emerged from another corner, dangling a pair of handcuffs. "And I mean an ESUN police shuttle for you," she addressed Talon. "Quatre, would you mind?"

"All right, but this is the last time," he sighed, putting the helmet on. Relena watched in stunned silence as the blond man lifted a hand, parting the wall of mobile dolls. As soon as there was enough space for Sally to walk in and slap the cuffs on Talon, Quatre removed the helmet. He was shaking.

"That was even tougher than I thought," he whispered. Heero released Relena and clapped a hand to his shoulder.

"You did well. Thanks." He gestured back toward Relena. "We appreciate it."

Quatre beamed at both of them. "I'm so happy for you both."

"Oh?" Relena raised a brow in question.

"Your engagement? I was listening from the control room." His grin spread from ear to ear. "Congratulations!"

"Oh…" Relena felt a flush creep across her cheeks. She didn't dare look at Heero, or dare to hope that he'd meant everything he'd said earlier. She wondered how much of it had been for Talon's benefit. If they _had_ actually gotten engaged, she'd somehow missed it.

"Like I said, we appreciate it," Heero said, grasping Quatre's hand and giving it a firm shake. "And thanks again, Wufei." He nodded at the other Preventer.

"Enough talking," Wufei snarled. "We have sixty seconds to get our asses out of here." He followed after Sally, who was escorting the handcuffed Talon out of the hangar.

Talon threw a look over his shoulder. "You forgot about the nuke," he seethed.

" _You_ forgot about the nuke, you mean," Heero replied calmly. Now Relena remembered something Heero had started telling her earlier - phase two of the plan. She shuddered.

"What nuke?" she whispered to Heero, who snaked a hand around her waist, pulling her back to his side.

"We have a bomb squad decommissioning the nuclear warhead on L4 as we speak," Sally cut in.

"Impossible!" Talon growled. "They'll never disable it in time."

"Well, you can worry all about _that_ while you sit in jail." Sally grinned at her prisoner. "On L4, of course." She led Talon away as he kicked and struggled, sputtering curse words. Wufei kept his gun pressed to Talon's back as he and Sally disappeared down the hall.

Relena turned worried eyes to Heero. "He had a nuke?"

"He thought he could use the energy from the blast to propel _this_ colony all the way to Mars."

"Is that even possible?"

Heero shook his head. "In theory, a nuclear reactor could propel a ship across space more quickly than other fuel sources. But Talon's plans were flawed from the start. He's a billionaire, not a scientist. The blast would have leveled the entire L4 colony cluster, killing millions."

"Guys," Quatre tapped them both on their shoulders. "I hate to interrupt, but I have it on good authority that this place _is_ about to explode." He laughed nervously. "Let's take the shortcut to the control room. If we hurry, we can go through the air duct to get to the shuttle."

Heero nodded. Relena grasped his sleeve. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is, but Quatre's right. We're out of time. Let's go."

The three of them raced from the hangar to the nearby control room. Relena could hear the low rumble of explosions in the distance. Heero took her hand and squeezed.

"You trust me?" He shot her a determined look. She nodded. "Good."

Once in the control room, Relena was surprised to see that what she understood to be the Zero System resembled a massive computer and took up almost the entire space, but she didn't have time to take it in. She watched as Heero hoisted Quatre up into the open air duct. Then he lifted her in his arms before she had a chance to protest, passing her up toward Quatre, who grabbed her by the waist and took her the rest of the way up. Then Heero leapt up and grabbed hold of the edges of the opening, pulling himself up without any help.

The inside of the metal duct was wider and taller than Relena had expected, looking a lot like a hallway, if that hallway were a seemingly endless, rectangular box. She followed behind Heero and Quatre as closely as she could as they ran through the duct, her lungs burning as she tried in vain to match their pace.

They stopped short as they came to a gaping hole. Relena made the mistake of looking down. The distance they had to leap over was short, but the drop…

She swayed on her feet. Heero held her steady. "Hold on," he urged her gruffly.

Quatre backed up and made a running start before easily covering the distance. He waved from the other side. "Come on, guys! Almost there."

"Okay," Heero murmured into her ear. "You can do it. Go on."

"Here, Relena!" Quatre reached a hand to her across the gap.

She hesitated, but Heero was insistent. "It's not that far, and I'm right behind you."

"But Heero…" She wanted desperately to escape to safety, but her legs had turned into lead. She clutched at his chest, not wanting to part from him. Not wanting to risk being parted forever. "What if we don't make it?"

Heero gripped her waist tightly, his eyes burning. "We're going to make it. And then I'm going to marry you." He pressed his other hand to the back of her neck, pulling her in for a rough kiss before releasing her.

She gasped. "But Heero…"

"Relena, go!" he growled. "Now!"

"Heero, I'm pregnant!" she blurted.

His eyes widened. Then his head whipped around, as an explosion sounded behind him. " _Now, Relena!"_

She hesitated for a split second before copying Quatre, backing up to get a running start. She jumped across the gap with all the strength she had left, plowing straight into Quatre's waiting arms. He held onto her as Heero landed beside them.

"Run!" he yelled at both of them. This time, Relena didn't argue.

* * *

 _A/N: On Wednesdays, we wear pink! And post fan fiction. ^_^_

 _A big, heartfelt thank you to all of you who continually read and review! Stay tuned for the conclusion._

 _\- RFP_


	23. Eclipsed

_In honor of tonight's full snow moon eclipse, I present to you the final chapter of Red Moon Glow._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, blah blah ;)_

* * *

 ** _Chapter Twenty-Three: Eclipsed_**

Everyone on the Preventers shuttle was in a celebratory mood as they sped away from the detonating colony.

Everyone except Heero.

Relena watched him as she caught up with the others, everyone sharing their side of the story, reveling in their teamwork and ultimate victory. High-fives and hugs were passed all around. Even the normally reserved Trowa pulled Relena into an embrace. She broke away, blushing furiously, wondering if Heero noticed. But he was slumped in a seat toward the back of the shuttle, looking lost in his thoughts as he stared into space, his face etched in a deep scowl.

After speaking to an insistent Zechs over vid-chat, Relena was finally free to check on Heero. She sank into the open seat beside him, gingerly resting her hand on his knee.

"Hi," she said softly, peering up at him through her lashes. "How are you holding up?"

He cast her a sidelong glance but otherwise didn't answer.

"What's wrong?" she sighed, her irritation building. She had missed him desperately, but was in no mood to deal with any attitude from him. After everything they had been through, how dare he build up walls against her again? She feared they were right back where they started, and it simply wasn't fair. Tears stung at her eyes. Could he actually be angry at her for being pregnant, and not telling him sooner? As if that had been all _her_ fault?

"You know what's wrong," he muttered tersely. Relena tensed in her seat.

"I wanted to tell you," she began. "But-"

"I know," he cut her off, turning his head to fully meet her eyes. "You couldn't. I understand."

She relaxed her shoulders. "Then why are you so upset?"

His expression softened, and he turned his eyes down to her abdomen, where he gently placed both of his hands.

"I'm worried," he murmured. "About the baby."

Relena's heart flipped over, hearing him say _baby_. "You are?" she whispered.

"Of course." He frowned down at her torso. "It is mine, right?"

She gasped incredulously. "Of course it is! Who else's could it be?" She followed his gaze across the shuttle before it settled on Trowa, who happened to be looking in their direction. The two men locked eyes before Relena grabbed the sides of Heero's face and turned him back to her.

"Heero," she hissed. "I'm twelve weeks pregnant. Believe me, this baby can only be yours."

"He's in love with you." Heero's eyes darted to the side, throwing another glare in Trowa's direction. "It's my fault for asking him to look after you so… thoroughly."

"If he is, that's the first I've heard of it." Relena sighed. "He's said nothing of the sort to me. And even if he did, it wouldn't matter. I'm in love with _you_ , Heero. And I'm having _your_ baby. He knows that."

Heero swung his eyes back to her. "Trowa knows?" She nodded as he frowned. "Who else?"

"Well, now Quatre does. Also Hilde, my brother and Noin."

"So I'm basically the last to know." Heero folded his arms.

"Not true." Relena rolled her eyes. "I haven't told my mother yet. _That_ should be fun. And anyway," she added testily, "I _did_ try getting a hold of you."

"Yeah, I know," Heero said flatly, retrieving a phone from his jacket pocket. Relena gaped at it in shock.

"I thought you got rid of your phone?"

"I did. Duo was kind enough to pilfer it for me. So yeah…" He looked at her pointedly. "I got your messages."

Relena crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Well, then. You knew I couldn't be lying about the baby being yours; you obviously saw the messages I sent you right after I found out."

His eyes twinkled. "Guess so." She managed to refrain from swatting his arm. His expression turned serious. "Regardless, we need to get you to a hospital."

"I'm all right." She kept her voice low. Not everyone on board knew about her pregnancy yet, after all. "I didn't get hurt. Not really."

Heero shook his head adamantly. "You've been through a lot physically today. We're going," he said sharply. "I'm pulling rank."

Relena's eyebrows shot up. "Pulling rank?"

"As your husband. As the baby's father." His tone was serious, but his gaze was gentle. "Please," he added, perhaps as an afterthought.

"All right." She couldn't help but smile as she brushed his lips with a kiss. "If you insist." His lips met hers eagerly, immediately deepening the kiss. "I missed the part where we got married, though." She giggled softly as she broke away.

Heero gave her a playful smirk. "That's a mere technicality." He tipped her chin up with his index finger, his blue eyes dancing as he smiled. "I already think of you as my wife."

"Oh, really?" She waggled her brows at him, refusing to give in to his seductive gaze. She wasn't about to let him off the hook _that_ easily. "Since when?" she demanded.

"Since we talked about it. Last I saw you, pretty much all we talked about was marriage." He shrugged. "Seemed like an inevitability. I figured we'd cement things when I got back."

"But you never asked me!" She whirled on him. "We spoke _hypothetically_. That doesn't count. And, anyway, you never even acknowledged that you actually wanted to marry me. I was the one who confessed my undying love for _you_ , remember?"

"I thought that was implied." Heero ignored the quizzical look she shot him, instead lowering his lips to her neck. "I made love to you, didn't I? Perhaps you could use a reminder…"

"Sex and love are not the same thing, Heero," she snapped, her temper fading as quickly as it flared as he planted soft kisses against her neck.

"They are to me," he replied evenly. "Always have been. You're the only woman I've made love to. You're the only woman I've ever loved."

"Really?" She knew she shouldn't be so surprised; he had proven his unwavering loyalty to her, again and again. But she still didn't know what he got up to whenever he wasn't around. This was the first he had ever mentioned the possibility of other women even being on his radar. She knew she shouldn't care about the past, but knowing he'd only ever given himself over to her meant everything.

"Of course," he answered. "You've always been the only one for me." Just as he told her he'd loved her earlier, plain as day, he uttered these new, world-upending words casually. As if they had always just hovered on his lips. Maybe they always had.

"You are also the only one I've ever loved, or made love to," she whispered shyly, hoping none of their friends and colleagues happened to be eavesdropping. They really needed to get some privacy, she thought wryly.

"Yeah?" Heero's head jerked back. "What about Carter?" His eyes twitched. "And all those other guys you paraded around?"

Relena shook her head firmly. "Shameless ploys to make you jealous. It was childish, I know. But you weren't exactly forthcoming with your feelings." She poked his arm. "I had to coax them out of you."

He chuckled, finally seeming to relax. "Yeah," he murmured, reaching up to tousle her hair. "Sorry about that."

She shook her head again, smiling this time. "It's all right, now. It seems we've worked things out."

"So you'll marry me." His eyes held the question, even as his voice remained impassive.

"I don't know," Relena tapped her chin, lifting her eyes to the ceiling. "I think you still owe me an official proposal…"

"We'll see." His smirk was back. "First I want to make sure that's really what you want."

"Of course it is." Her eyes returned to his. "It's all I've ever wanted, Heero. But what do _you_ want?" She touched his chest with her index finger. He reached up and pressed her hand to his heart.

"I already said I want to marry you." His voice came out in a low groan. "Don't push it."

She laughed, happier than she'd ever been. Happier than she'd ever known was possible.

"I love you, Heero Yuy."

"And I love you, Relena…" His words trailed off as he gazed at her, another question hanging in his eyes.

"Yuy?" she supplied.

Heero frowned, as if mulling it over. "Is that what you want to go by?"

"Of course!" She beamed at her now husband-to-be, her heart in her eyes. "I would love nothing more than to take your last name."

"Yeah, well, in that case..." He paused to raise her left hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her bare ring finger. "We have options."

* * *

A short time later, the Preventers shuttle was approaching the L3 Colony, where Heero had insisted he and Relena should be brought to the nearest hospital. Relena knew that if not everyone had figured out their secret, they would soon; obviously _something_ had to be up for Heero Yuy to actually seek medical attention.

Even he was starting to show signs of fatigue, his unseen injuries perhaps finally catching up to him. After a while, he dozed off, his head resting against Relena's shoulder. She smiled happily to herself, relieved to finally have him back, and so close. As he rested, she took the opportunity to make a quick work call. Thankfully Duo had managed to retrieve her phone from Talon's well-intentioned assistant before the base was evacuated.

"Miss Relena?" Elise sounded surprised to hear from her, but then Relena remembered it was still a holiday. "Happy New Year! How are you?"

"I'm well, Elise," Relena answered breezily. "Happy New Year to you, too. How was your holiday?"

"Good, thank you. And you?"

"It's been good," Relena fibbed, slightly. It _was_ good, now. "I'm sorry to bother you on your day off…"

"Oh, not at all!" Elise insisted cheerily. "Can I help with anything?"

"Well," Relena started, twirling the ends of her hair with her free hand. "Have you seen the news yet today?"

"No, not yet. I admit that I've stayed offline… Oh. Goodness." Silence fell between them, as Elise was catching up. "Talon Van Holt was arrested?! By the Preventers? What on Earth..."

"Yes… This should have an impact on our project," Relena said.

"Wow," Elise breathed. "No kidding. How should we proceed?"

"Well, we probably should release a statement..."

"I'll contact Sandra," Elise said immediately.

"Great," Relena continued. "We can keep it simple for now. Something about how we were unaware of the true nature of Talon's plans and that we are cutting all ties with Talon Industries from here on out. And that the committee will proceed with the satellite plans we voted on at our previous meeting. There will probably be a lot of media attention on this, and I would like you and Sandra to deal with any questions that arise."

"Oh?" Elise sounded surprised. "You would like me to speak on the committee's behalf?"

"If you could. But don't feel pressured to go beyond 'no comment,' at least for now." The story of Talon's betrayal would likely dominate headlines for weeks. On the one hand, it would provide the kind of distraction Relena had been hoping for, although she wasn't sure it would silence questions on the project's funding. If anything, it might unearth more questions. Too bad she wasn't going to be around to deal with any of it.

"It turns out I'm going to be away for a few more weeks," she told Elise.

"Really? Well, that's good!" Elise managed to infuse her tone with cheer once again. "It's about time you took your full vacation…"

"Well, it's not a vacation. Not exactly." Relena hesitated, wondering how much she should tell Elise. Eventually, she would have to sit down and discuss her full plans with her assistant. Especially since she wanted Elise to be the one to take over her duties, and soon.

For now she would keep things vague. "I have… a family matter to attend to."

"Oh, no; is it anything serious?" Elise sounded concerned.

"It's _very_ serious." Relena couldn't keep the smile out of her voice as her eyes rested on Heero, slumbering peacefully beside her. "I'm... getting married."

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Yuy?"

Relena snapped to attention as a nurse entered the hospital room. She eyed Heero suspiciously from where she sat on the exam table. He stared back unblinkingly.

"Yes?" she answered the nurse.

"They're almost ready for you in the ultrasound room," the other woman explained. "A tech will come by for you shortly." Relena nodded and the nurse swept out of the room.

She turned disapproving eyes to him. "You forged the paperwork?" He merely shrugged again. "Those are legal documents, you know."

"What does it matter?"

Relena shot him another exasperated look. "Because they'll go on record. And we're not actually married yet."

"Have you changed your mind?"

"No."

"Are you planning to?"

"Of course not!" She glared at him. "You know that's not the point…"

"Then I fail to see why it matters in the long run." He shrugged. "We'll be married soon enough."

Her face softened as she looked at him, still boyishly handsome, even in his early thirties. She forced her annoyance away. She had waited long enough for him to make her his, in an official way. She should be ecstatic that he was already eager to combine their names. She reached for his hand, threading their fingers together.

"And when will that be?" she murmured. He stroked the back of her hand.

"Whenever you want, babe."

Relena was hit by a fresh wave of shock. "Did you just call me 'babe'?"

"You don't like it?" He frowned. "What do you want me to call you?"

"You can call me anything you like." She beamed at him. "This is just going to take some getting used to, that's all."

"Yeah, no kidding." Heero's eyes seemed far away. Relena tried to put herself in his shoes, but she couldn't begin to fathom how he must feel, escaping after three months of being imprisoned by a lunatic, only to find out that his longtime on-again, off-again love was pregnant with his child.

She would have to pose the question to him later. The technician arrived and led Relena to the ultrasound room, Heero following close behind. Her heart thrilled at the thought that, finally, he was going to see their baby for the first time. She felt another thrill when it hit her that she no longer had to do these things on her own. From now on, he would be with her every step of the way.

Heero stayed close to Relena as she climbed up onto the exam table, holding her hand as she lifted up her blouse and the tech slathered gel on her belly. Relena closed her eyes against the sudden cold, waiting while the tech brought the image up on the screen. She relaxed as her ears filled with the reassuring thrum of her baby's heartbeat. Only something seemed strange. The heartbeat was thumping much more rapidly than last time. She sucked in a breath.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked immediately, grasping Relena's shoulders as she shot straight up.

"Why is the heartbeat so fast?" she gasped.

"Relax," the tech said gently. "A baby's heart beats much faster in utero. It can even sound like two heartbeats, but one of them is probably yours. I'm just getting the image up now."

Relena swung her eyes over to the screen and gasped. The baby already looked much bigger than in her last ultrasound, roughly three weeks ago. She could make out a head, torso, little legs… and something blurry in another corner. Relena gasped as she stared at what looked like a second head. Her eyes filled with tears. She gripped her fiancé's hand.

"Heero…"

He was peering at the screen, frowning. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Hmm…" The tech frowned, too, tilting his head. "I thought your file said you were having one baby?"

Relena bobbed her head up and down.

"Well, those two heartbeats you heard? The other one wasn't yours." The man grinned at her and Heero before pointing at the screen. "There're two babies in there."

Relena managed to tear her eyes away from the screen in time to watch the shock register on Heero's face. He met her equally bewildered expression before turning back to the tech.

"She's had two prior ultrasounds." Naturally, Heero had quickly gotten up to speed. "Neither of them showed…"

"Twins?" the tech supplied, still smiling.

"Twins," Heero echoed, looking back at Relena, mirroring her baffled expression.

"I don't understand…" She shook her head in disbelief.

"I'll page the doctor," the tech said. "Just a moment."

Heero and Relena remained transfixed as they watched the two babies on the screen. True to his word, the tech returned shortly with a middle-aged woman in a lab coat.

"I'm Dr. Palmer." She reached to shake both their hands before smiling broadly. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Yuy. This is some news!"

Relena nodded slowly, still trying to absorb their new reality. "But… how is this possible? The other baby didn't show up on the other ultrasounds…"

"It's rare, but it _is_ possible," Dr. Palmer explained. "We called it 'vanishing twins.' Early in pregnancy, twins are close together and can hide or shadow one another." She gestured with her hands. "Think of a lunar eclipse. This only happens if they're in the same sac, which is what's happened in your case. If you had two sacs with two babies, they would've been much harder to miss. Now that you're further along, they're much easier to see. It's easier to discern two separate heartbeats now as well."

Relena found herself gasping once more. "So, if they're in the same sac, does that make them-"

"Identical," Heero finished for her, looking to the doctor for confirmation. She nodded.

"That's correct."

"We're having identical twins?" Relena practically shrieked, aware that she probably sounded hysterical. Dr. Palmer just laughed.

"Yes, you are. I know, it's quite a shock. I'll make a print for you, and give you a moment."

Somehow Relena felt even more shellshocked than she did when she first learned she was pregnant, and was petrified to know what Heero must be thinking. She was sure it had been hard enough for him to accept the fact that he had fathered one baby.

But _two?_

She didn't realize she was shaking until she felt Heero's steady hands on her shoulders.

"Are you all right?" he murmured, scanning her eyes. She nodded.

"Are you?" He nodded back.

"The important thing is they're both doing fine." He tilted her chin up. "And so are you."

"The doctor didn't say they were fine," she gasped in sudden panic. She had been so surprised by the news of the second baby, she had forgotten to ask about both babies' health. She could have kicked herself. What kind of mother was she going to be? She whimpered something to that effect to Heero.

He looked at her lovingly before brushing a kiss to her lips.

"First of all, if something was wrong, the doctor would have told us immediately. And anyway, she's coming back. We'll ask her to make sure." He gave her another quick, light kiss. "Second," he added after breaking away, "you're going to make a wonderful mother. I wouldn't doubt it for a second."

She smiled gratefully at him as he thumbed away her tears. "You'll make a wonderful father, too," she whispered. He returned her smile with one of his own before leaning in for another kiss.

"So, no regrets?" she asked after their faces parted. Heero frowned at her, as if the very suggestion were ludicrous.

" _Of course not,"_ he said fervently, emphasizing each word. "Why would you ask?"

"Because, this is a big change for you. For us," she amended. "I can't imagine what it must feel like, after being confined for months, you come out and end up with… a pregnant wife-to-be?" She shook her head, still not quite believing what was happening. "And _two_ babies?"

Heero didn't answer her right away, just placed his hands on her abdomen, caressing her baby bump gently while leveling her with a tender, longing-filled gaze.

"Relena." Her heart still flipped every time she heard him speak her name. She rested her hands on top of his and thought, for just a glimmer of a second, that his eyes looked moist. "I can't begin to tell you how it makes me feel."

He lowered his head to hers, pressing their foreheads together. She closed her eyes, savoring their connection. Heero was _here_. He was _this close_. She vowed then and there to never come so close to losing him, ever again.

"You have to promise me something," she whispered.

"Anything," came his near-instant reply.

"Don't go running away from me." Tears leapt to her eyes as she stared into his, nose to nose. "Never again."

His smile seemed to touch his eyes. "Never," he repeated. He lifted his hand to her cheek, once again brushing away her stray tears. "I'm yours. Always." He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her into his chest. "Wherever you go, I'll follow." He leaned into her and buried his face in her bosom. "Chain me to your side."

She laughed as she hugged him tightly to her. "Oh, honey. Don't tempt me..."

He glanced up at her as she smoothed back his hair. "Would you like me to ask Une for a desk job?" Relena knew he had to be half-kidding, but she immediately latched onto the idea.

"Yes," she nodded emphatically. "Yes, I would."

"Well." He pulled back from their embrace just as Dr. Palmer reentered the room. "I'll see what I can do."

The couple spent a few minutes quizzing the doctor before both were satisfied that Relena was, in fact, carrying two healthy, identical babies. The sex, of course, was to be determined. Relena knew she would be anxiously counting down the weeks to her next ultrasound. But then, she had gotten awfully used to waiting.

And, now, she wouldn't have to wait alone.

 _The End_

* * *

 _A/N: Dear readers, first of all, thank you for taking this journey with me. I can't even find the words to tell you how much I appreciate you. UGH. I can't! But I'm so happy and grateful for those of you who took the time to read, review and reach out to me. Each one of you makes my day! I love you! I'm getting mushy now. Sorry._

 _I realize that, upon finishing this, you will still have some lingering questions. Yes, I have left some things unresolved, although I prefer to think of it as open-ended. You can feel free to imagine where Heero and Relena go from here. Of course, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. And yes, I have left the door WIDE OPEN for a sequel, and hope the muses will guide me! So please stay tuned._

 _And please, if you enjoyed this story, please considering giving it a favorite and a review, if you haven't already, because it means so much to those of us who sit around dreaming up these crazy little stories. Thank you, again, for all of your support!_

 _Love, love, love,_

 _\- RFP_


	24. After the Credits

_A/N: Hello, my lovely 1xRmy! I wasn't sure if I was going to post this, but thought you might enjoy this little teaser. Happy hump day!_

* * *

 **February, A.C. 213**

"Are you ready?"

"No," Relena sighed, tucking into the burger and fries Heero had ordered for her as he pulled into a parking space at the fast food stop. He'd gone to the first one he could find off of the exit after Relena reminded him, ever so nicely, that she needed to feed his offspring again.

 _Nicely_ was a stretch, but then she was sixteen weeks pregnant. With twins.

"You need to relax." Heero looked at her pointedly. "You've faced down warlords; this is your mother. How bad could it be?"

"She's worse than a warlord," Relena muttered before jamming in a fry. Heero rolled his eyes.

"You worry too much. Just focus on what we talked about. It'll be fine."

"Right." Relena shot him an exasperated look. "You mean, 'Oh, hi Mom, guess what? We got married, _and_ we're expecting twins.'"

"Yeah…" Heero said slowly, eyeing his wife quizzically. "What's wrong with that?"

"That'll never work," she harrumphed, taking a bite of her burger and chewing angrily. Heero placed a hand on her knee and squeezed.

"I'm telling you, it'll be fine. Mareen is not unreasonable. She might be shocked at first, but she'll come around. And you have to admit, it is a lot to take in." He shrugged.

"Not helping." Relena glared at her husband.

"Well, we can't keep this a secret forever. You're going back to work next week. People are going to find out."

"True…" She sighed.

"And if Mareen ends up being the last to know, she won't let you hear the end of it."

"Ugh, you're right." Relena crammed a handful of fries into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a paper napkin. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Your kids are hungry again. They're hungry all the time. I can't even get any sleep, they're so hungry."

"Believe me, I know." Heero patted her leg again. "It's okay; I want you all fat and happy."

Relena whirled on him. "You think that's funny?"

"No." Heero held up his hands.

"Well, you had to go and miss the first trimester, when I was barely showing. We're in the second trimester now," she glowered. "This just got real. So you'd better buck up, bucko." She shot him an icy glare before returning her attention to the fries.

Heero just shook his head. "I'm going to assume those were the hormones talking."

"Assume nothing," Relena snapped. "You don't know what the hormones are saying; only _I_ can hear them talking. I'm the one carrying your babies; _both_ your babies."

Heero could practically hear Relena screaming _You did this to me_ at him while sobbing. Thankfully things had not gone that far.

Yet.

"Honey," he said softly, continuing to rub her leg. "You look beautiful. You're healthy. The babies are healthy. That's all I want. All right?"

She peered up at him through her lashes. "All right," she breathed.

"Now let's go get this over with, okay?"

Relena nodded and Heero put the car back in drive.

Half an hour later, they were pulling up to the Darlian estate. Relena sucked in a deep breath, squeezing Heero's hand. He squeezed hers back. They got out of the car and walked arm and arm up to the front door.

Mareen's butler answered and took their coats before ushering them into an expansive sitting room. Heero took in the ornate surroundings and realized he hadn't been in the house in a while. Years, probably. He hadn't seen Mareen in a long time, either.

He shot his wife a nervous glance while hoping she wouldn't be able to see through him. She gave him an encouraging smile as he rested their joined hands in her lap. If nothing else, the move slightly covered Relena's growing baby bump.

But then Mareen swept into the room and Relena was on her feet, wrapping the older woman in a hug. Heero rose, too, and grasped Mareen's hand.

"Pleasure to see you again," he said as politely as he could muster. Mareen arched a skeptical brow.

"You too, Heero Yuy. It's been a while," she said pointedly as she sat down in a chair across from the couple, neatly crossing one leg over the other in a fluid motion. "What have you been up to?"

Heero and Relena looked at each other.

"Well, mother," Relena started, "as you know, Heero was on an… extensive assignment for the Preventers, but then we met up on New Year's day…"

"Oh, yes, I remember," Mareen cut in, her blue eyes snapping to match her tone. "You left me to run off to space."

"Well…" Relena gave both of Heero's hands a squeeze. "Then… We got married."

"What?" Mareen uncrossed her legs as she bolted upright. "And you didn't tell me?"

"I'm telling you now, Mother," Relena said softly.

"Well, when was the wedding? Why wasn't I notified?" Mareen pressed a hand to her chest. "Bruce," she called to her butler, "bring me some water, please. I'm feeling faint." She sank back down in her chair, looking overwhelmed.

Relena shot a look at Heero as if to say _I told you so._ He just looked at her evenly, squeezing her hands again. _You can do this._

"Mom, we eloped. There was no wedding."

"Of course not." Mareen waved a hand in front of her face until Bruce entered with the water. She grabbed the glass from him and drained it, holding the empty glass back out to him. He took it and disappeared from the room. "All these years I've waited for your wedding day, and you go and elope." Then she sat up straight again. "Wait just a minute…" She peered at her daughter more closely. "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

Relena's face flushed. She turned her gaze to Heero. "Yes," she nodded. "Yes, I am."

"I knew it!" Mareen let out a staccato laugh, but it was not a mirthful sound. "I could tell after you put on all that weight…"

"Mother!" Relena cried, her cheeks darkening. "It was not _that_ much weight…"

"I can't believe you let this happen." Mareen shook her head crossly. Heero couldn't tell if she was admonishing him or Relena, or both of them. "There is a natural order to things; you fall in love, get married and _then_ have babies. You two are… all over the place," she scoffed, gesturing wildly with her hands.

"Mareen." Heero fixed his gaze on her, speaking in measured tones. "Please. I love your daughter. I have sworn to look after her, and our children, with my life. And I will do my utmost to make them happy. If that's not good enough for you, I'm sorry."

Mareen's expression changed from incredulous to awestruck. "Children? Don't you mean 'child'? Or are you planning for more, already?"

Relena shook her head, beaming at Heero. "We're having twins."

"Twins?!" Mareen all but shrieked. "Are you serious?"

Relena nodded. "We just found out. Identical." She looked over at her mother, grinning. "We won't know the sex for a few more weeks, but…"

"Twins!" Mareen leapt up from her seat, clapping her hands together. "Oh, darling, how wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" She swept Relena into a hug before reaching and pulling Heero into the fold. "I'm going to have _two_ grandbabies! Good heavens!"

Relena laughed happily with her mother before breaking away and murmuring to Heero, "Apparently, 'twins' is the magic word."

He just looked at his wife, shrugged and nodded.

Relena's words in the car came back to him, issuing a warning. _Buck up, bucko._

This was only the beginning...

 _Heero and Relena will return in_ Red Moon Rise.

* * *

 _\- RFP_


End file.
